A Witch and an Amazon Walk into a Bar
by Philosophize
Summary: At the end of 5th year, Remus whisks Rose Potter away to America to rest and decompress, far from the demands of wizarding Britain. In Las Vegas, she meets someone else dealing with serious personal problems: Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman. The two get drunk together, and the next morning they find that they made bad decisions while inebriated. Or maybe not so bad after all?
1. Beginner's Luck

**A Witch and an Amazon Walk into a Bar...**

A response to Blood Brandy's Vegas Vacation Challenge.

 **A/N:** This idea originated as part of my Harry Potter Story Fluffle fic, a collection of first chapters of possible stories, and it's the first to graduate to become a full story (the original draft is still there, if you want to go back and compare). This fic will be 24 chapters plus an epilogue and will be about 170,000 words. I started it back in February, 2016, and am happy that I finished in time to start publishing as the Wonder Woman movie is being released!

It's important to note upfront that this is an AU Wonder Woman who isn't precisely like any of her canon incarnations, though I try to incorporate as much relevant canon as possible. She's younger and less experienced than any of them, though perhaps closest in age to her incarnation in the New 52 continuity. Her origin story (as well as that of the Amazons generally) is mostly from the Modern Age comic run after _Crisis on Infinite Earths_. In my own mind, I've modelled her after the large, strong, Amazonian Wonder Woman drawn by nebezial (stjepan sejic) on DeviantArt. Look for the images "Morning Warmup" and "Death by Snu Snu."

Despite being AU, though, I'm writing Wonder Woman as a typical superhero: she's not someone who changes much internally, but rather inspires others to change. Consider Captain America in the recent Marvel films — his goals and values are constant from beginning to end.

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks also to Nicolás Farinasso for giving permission to use his work for the cover image. This is only a cropped version; you can see the full image on his Deviant Art page: nicofari deviantart com/art/Wonder-Woman-561744120

You can also find more of his art on his Instagram account: nicofari art.

 **Recommendation:** _Dahlia Evans & the Broken Bridge_, by Forensica X. There is no "Girl Who Lived" because everyone believes that Lily and James' daughter died that night. Instead, she was taken to an orphanage where she languishes for years before finally being adopted by the Grangers. And that's just the start of many, many changes from canon! This is well written and different from most fics, so it's worth reading. Dahlia/Hermione.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 01 - Beginner's Luck**

 **Friday, August 2, 1996. Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.**

Rose paused outside the casino bar and scrutinized herself in one of the many mirrors, self-consciously running her hands over her face as she made sure she still looked like a woman in her mid-twenties. She did, though the bright neon and flashing lights did absolutely nothing for her skin. Between the glamors and her magically created fake ID, she didn't expect to have any trouble being served alcohol. That didn't mean she wasn't nervous, however. The laws in magical North America were generally less restrictive than in magical Britain — for example, they allowed people to use magic outside of school starting at the age of fifteen, not seventeen — but she didn't want to run afoul of muggle laws.

A glance over her shoulder confirmed that Remus was still at the craps table, tossing back another free drink while some bimbo in a barely-there red dress blew on his hand for luck. Rose was tempted to be annoyed that he was doing such a lousy job watching over her, but that would defeat the purpose of getting away. She wanted to drink in peace and maybe forget about the past year — especially how it had ended.

It wasn't Remus' fault, and she tried not to blame him, but it was hard. They'd come to America to get away from the pressure in Britain, yet ever since their arrival he'd been hovering over her, almost smothering her, which wasn't much of an improvement.

Sometimes she wondered what would happen if she took off and never looked back. She knew she shouldn't, but the temptation was there. And growing. Let them solve their own problems instead of dumping everything on her.

 _He needs this vacation as much as I do_ , she thought, straightening her back and squinting as she entered the dimly-lit bar. _And if that's his way of letting off some steam, who am I to complain? We'll see who's in better shape in the morning._ _Besides, I just turned sixteen! The dinner and cake Remus organized were nice, but I'm old enough now to do something more adult. I deserve to enjoy life while I can. Who knows how much longer I've got?_

Her attempt to act like an adult hit a major stumbling block — literally, when Rose started wobbling on heels that were much higher than she was accustomed to. She'd only chosen them to help reinforce the impression of being older; certainly nobody wore them for _comfort_. Without Remus' arm to steady her, though, they threatened to undermine all her efforts.

Suddenly her ankle twisted out from under her, so she lunged for the nearest stool at the bar and sat down with barely hidden relief. It was only when the bartender approached her with a questioning look that she realized there was someone sitting immediately to her left. Rose froze for a second, weighing the propriety of sitting right next to someone in a mostly-empty bar against the propriety of getting up and moving after having already sat down.

She nearly did move, but a painful twitch in her ankle stopped that cold. _How did I even make it down here from my room?_ She reached down to rub her ankle, but the bartender clearing his throat drew her attention back to why she'd left her room in the first place.

"Uh..." She cursed silently at not having planned ahead for what to order. What did she know about drinking at a bar? After a much-too-long pause, she finally said, "Piña Colada?" She had no idea what it was, but Petunia had sung a song about them more than once when she thought no one was listening, and it was the only cocktail she knew by name. Once she sipped it, the creamy, sweet flavors surprised her. _Wow! I thought alcoholic drinks were harsh or something, but this is yummy!_ Rose sucked it down in just a few seconds, eagerly ordering another. She drank half of that in one gulp before slowing down enough to taste it again. And play with the little paper umbrella.

"You keep that up and you'll be drunker 'n me," came a voice from her left. The rich alto was a bit slurred but unmistakably female. Frowning, Rose turned towards the stranger and was surprised that she had to look up to see the woman's face, she was so large. Rose's glamor spell only affected her features, not her height, so she was still quite petite — that was why she needed the stupid high heels. Even so, the woman next to her was impressively big.

"Maybe that's the point?" Rose retorted, earning her a slight smirk she interpreted as condescending. _As if I don't get that already from the rest of the adults in my life,_ she thought sourly. _Why can't anyone let me make my own decisions for a change? They expect me to fight and die for them, but they don't give me enough freedom to make any choices for myself._

"Yeah?" the woman asked, and Rose nodded once. "Well, then, here's to getting drunk," she continued, turning slightly on her barstool and holding up her own drink, a short glass of dusty-brown liquid. Rose hesitated for a moment, then mirrored the gesture, clinking glasses and downing the rest of her drink while her companion did the same. The woman, who looked as though she was barely old enough to drink herself, wasn't just tall, but large all over: broad shoulders, strong arms, thick chest, everything. Yet she didn't look masculine at all, even if having her dark hair in such a tight ponytail made her face a bit too severe. No, Rose thought she was quite beautiful and feminine, yet also powerful and dangerous. It was a combination she'd never encountered before, and she found herself unexpectedly attracted to the stranger.

After the way her fifth year had ended, she'd sworn that she'd never allow herself to experience such feelings again, but her hormones were refusing to follow orders.

"Two more!" the woman called out as she plunked her glass on the bar, and the bartender efficiently replaced their drinks.

"Thanks," Rose said, but the other waved her hand dismissively.

"Not a problem. You look like you need it as much as I do."

"Yeah, kinda," Rose said softly, then she gathered up her courage and turned back to the woman, holding out her hand. "My name's Rose — Rose Potter."

The brunette smiled a bit blearily as she held out her own hand. "Nice to meet you, Rose-Rose Potter. I'm Diana Prince." Rose wasn't surprised at how strong her grip was, nor at how her own hand was practically lost in the other woman's. No, what surprised her was how warm and comfortable Diana's hand felt — so comfortable that Rose felt a pang of regret when she had to let go.

As she sat there and drank, she kept sneaking looks at the woman, wondering what her story was. _How did she come to be so incredibly fit? Why did she want to get drunk in a Vegas bar? It can't be as bad as what I've been going through, can it?_

It wasn't until she'd nearly finished her third drink that she got up the courage to ask. "So, uh, what are you looking to get away from? Or forget?"

Diana gave her a measuring look, and several long moments passed in silence. Rose started to fidget in her seat and began to regret the question when Diana finally seemed to come to a decision. "I killed a man," she said shortly.

 _That_ wasn't what Rose had expected to hear. She was sure that her surprise showed on her face, but Diana didn't seem to notice. "But it's not the killing that's the problem, even though I abhor death. Max needed to die for others to live."

"Then what _is_ the problem?"

"The problem is how others have reacted, including those I saved."

"You mean, they weren't grateful?"

Diana snorted. "You'd think they would be, wouldn't you? But no, pretty much everyone turned against me — including friends I thought I knew well. Even Bat— well, Bruce, one of my closest friends. I've become a pariah, all because I made the hard choice to end the life of one evil person to save the lives of so many innocents. How does that justify people who don't even know me calling me a violent killer? Saying that I can't be trusted? Saying that maybe I'm as bad as the villains I've been chasing down?"

Rose gazed at her drink, knowing that she should say something. As strong as Diana looked, she'd heard the woman's voice come close to cracking a couple of times.

"It's not easy, taking a life," she eventually managed.

"No, it's not," Diana agreed. "Don't get me wrong — I don't regret my decision. Not only was he going to kill others, but he was already a murderer. That doesn't mean I don't still wish there had been some alternative." She stared grimly into her glass. "Because if there had been, I'd have taken it. Every death is a waste — even his." She finished by taking a deep swig.

"But you did what was necessary," Rose countered.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Diana turn towards her, and Rose could hear the surprise in her voice as she said, "You know, don't you? What it's like to kill?" When Rose met her gaze and nodded, she went on softly, "What happened?"

Rose gulped, then finished her drink and called for another. "It's... it's not something I like to think about. A man attacked me. Tried to kill me, in fact, and once he was through with me he'd have gone on to kill others if I hadn't done something."

"Then I'm sure you did the right thing," Diana responded as she finished her own drink. "How long ago was it?"

"I was eleven," Rose said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Great Hera!" the woman exclaimed, putting one hand on hers. "No one that young should be forced into such a situation!"

"No arguments here," Rose agreed with a shrug, "but we don't always get to pick the problems fate throws at us. Or the battles we'll have to fight."

"Wise words," Diana said as she sipped from her new drink. "The gods never ask our opinions when they decide to test us, or to use us to test others. I hope that _your_ friends at least stood by you."

"That time they did," Rose replied. When Diana gave her a questioning look, she provided an edited version of how so many had turned against her during her second and fourth years at Hogwarts, though the necessity of leaving out everything that would point to magic or her age made it rather disjointed.

"That may be worse than what I'm going through," Diana admitted when she finished. "But at least your one friend stood by you, staying loyal no matter what everyone else said or did."

"Hermione," Rose said wistfully. "Yeah, she did..."

"But...?"

"Well, it's just that..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain recent events, or even if she should. Diana was patient, though, giving her time. "In June I thought my godfather was in trouble. That he was being tortured by... by a terrorist. The same terrorist who killed my parents when I was a toddler, in fact. I went to rescue him and several friends came with me, even though I said they didn't have to."

Diana had leaned in a bit closer, showing more interest in her story. "Hermione, too, I take it?"

"Yeah, she was the first to volunteer, even though she was convinced that it was a trap. Unfortunately, she was right: my godfather wasn't there. Most of us were injured, Hermione worst of all. And on top of that, my godfather and his friends were forced to come rescue _us_ , which led to my godfather getting killed." Rose paused for a moment before adding softly, "It seems that every one who gets too close to me gets hurt, sooner or later."

Diana put a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "And Hermione blames you for her injuries?"

Rose shook her head and dabbed at her eyes. "No, that would be simpler." She swallowed hard and went on, "I was so scared when I saw her go down. She was always important to me, but it wasn't until that moment, when I thought I'd lose her, that I realized... Well, later in the hospital wing I spent a lot of time sitting by her bed, worrying about her. And when she finally woke up, I was so happy, I... I couldn't help myself."

Rose looked up at Diana, whose expression was mostly confused. With a sigh, she said, "I confessed my feelings for her. I confessed that I like her as... as much more than just a friend."

"Oh? And she..."

"And she doesn't feel the same way about me. Or girls generally."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Fortunately she doesn't hate me or anything — Hermione doesn't have a bigoted bone in her body. But things will never be the same between us now." She looked up at Diana, seeing the sympathy in her face. "You... you don't have a problem with that sort of thing, do you?"

Diana smiled broadly and gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze before picking up her drink again. "Not in the slightest."

"Thanks," Rose said. "I appreciate it."

The two fell into a comfortable silence again as they continued to drink, and Rose didn't notice that they were now sitting a bit closer, nor did she think about how Diana's arm brushed against hers every so often. She did notice her warm, friendly smile every time their eyes met, and the brightness in those eyes was hard to miss.

After a while, Diana said, "I know we both came here to forget our problems, but it occurs to me that neither of us will feel better from just sitting here and drinking."

Rose looked around and slowly nodded in agreement. It seemed like a nice place (not that she had much experience to go by), but like so much in Vegas it was all cheap. No, it was superficial. Shallow. Fake.

"I'm sure we could find some more interesting and fun places to forget our problems," Diana continued, spinning on her barstool to face Rose fully, "if you'd like to come along?"

Rose looked at the other woman more closely now and found herself drawn again to Diana's extraordinary blue eyes — eyes that seemed to radiate kindness and warmth. She only gave Remus a moment's thought before tossing back the rest of her drink and saying, "Sounds like a great idea — I'm in!"

She'd been unsteady on her heels when she walked in sober, but after four drinks she was far more wobbly than she'd realized, and when she stood she immediately lost her balance. It was only Diana's strong arms that kept her from sprawling to the floor.

"Thanks," Rose mumbled. "Guess I've had a bit more than I thought."

"No problem," Diana replied, keeping one arm around her as they walked out to the street. "I'll keep you from falling."

Rose looked up again into Diana's smiling face and wondered about that. She hadn't had much luck with others keeping her safe, especially adults. For some reason, though, Diana seemed different. She wasn't sure why, but she felt safe and secure with this relative stranger. More so than she had in... well, ever, probably.

 _Maybe I'll give her a chance. She can't hurt me any worse than I have been already._

* * *

Coming to full consciousness was a slow and painful process. For the longest time, all Rose was aware of was the pounding in her head, followed closely by the sensation that her mouth was stuffed with cotton. Despite being no stranger to pain, it took her a while to fight back the headache enough to focus on her surroundings.

Along the way, a series of images drifted through her mind, none entirely clear or coherent. There were flashes of dancing, some of it fast and some of it slow. The latter group of images seemed to be dominated by a sense of comfort and security as she was held close by someone tall and strong. There were even more flashes of all manner of sweet, colored, alcoholic drinks, thus explaining the pounding in her head.

The strangest of all were images of a smiling Elvis next to a pink cake topped with two little white figures, but she chalked that up to alcohol-induced hallucinations.

Once she could focus on her surroundings, she became aware of the fact that she was in bed and naked, judging by the soft feel of a mattress under her as she lay on her left side. This good news was quickly followed by bad news: she couldn't move. She wiggled a little to figure out what was restraining her, only to feel her restraints tighten further, followed by a low murmur of pleasure that came from just behind her right ear.

Rose froze as her eyes shot open. She was immediately thankful that the room was dim, because what little light there was still hurt. Looking down, she confirmed that she was indeed naked. There were four arms and three legs in sight. Two of the arms were her own, but the other two, one of which was wrapped around her torso and the other under her head, were far thicker and more muscular than hers. The same was true of the extra leg that had been thrown over her hips, holding her own legs fast.

 _Please don't be a bloke!_ she pleaded. _Please don't let me have slept with some bloke!_

With effort, Rose managed to free her right hand and place it over the larger one holding her breast, confirming that not only was it a female's hand, but also that the size was about the same as the hand of the woman she'd met in the bar the previous night.

 _Wait, what was her name? I can't remember her name!_

"Mmmm, you're awake early," came a familiar voice, and the warm breath against her ear caused her to shiver. When the hand at her breast started to move gently, she bit back a gasp. "I expected us to sleep a bit longer, considering the workout we gave each other, but I wouldn't mind a repeat of last night."

 _Repeat? That means we actually... and I'm no longer a... Cool! Except... except I don't remember it! No fair!_

Rose felt a blush that started in her face and went down most of her body as she realized that the woman behind her was as naked as she was. When the woman's arms and legs tightened, she became acutely aware of the large breasts pressed up against her back. Somehow, she knew that there was a tremendous amount of strength in the arms wrapped around her, enough perhaps to crush her; yet rather than endangered, she felt protected.

"First, though, I need to use the bathroom," the woman said with a sigh as she rolled out of bed. Rose turned in time to see her briefly as she entered the loo, and even though it was only from behind, the sight of the other woman's naked, muscular body almost caused Rose's brain to shut down completely. She shook her head to clear it, instantly regretting the move as her headache pounded so hard she wondered if the woman could hear it through the door. Gingerly, she forced herself to sit upright.

Clutching at her head in a vain effort to stave off the pain, Rose looked around. _Fake stone walls. Paper-thin doors... yeah, this is my room in our suite._ She then noted the way clothing had been tossed everywhere and that none of the furniture was where it was supposed to be. Some of it was even overturned. Someone's knickers were hanging from a blade of the slowly-spinning ceiling fan — and come to think of it, she was pretty sure she didn't own any red, white, and blue thongs. As she ran her left hand through her red hair to pull it away from her face, she felt something catch, and upon disentangling it she discovered a strange ring on her finger. It was a gold band covered with intricate runes and had a smooth, black stone at the top.

"What the hell is this?" she asked softly as she held it close to her eyes, not noticing the exclamation of "What the hell is this?" that came from the loo. As she looked at the ring, a distant memory from the previous Christmas started to form. Sirius was showing her some of the treasures of his family, including family rings. Among them were the Black family's enchanted wedding rings, which her current ring looked awfully similar to.

Before she could follow that line of thought any further, the bathroom door banged open, pulling Rose's attention away from her hand. This time her brain did freeze as she goggled at the tall, muscular, and very naked body of what she could only describe as a goddess standing there, one hand in the air and the other on her hip. The brunette goddess was speaking, and seemed to be annoyed about something, but all Rose could do was stare.

She might have drooled a little, too — not that she would have ever admitted it to anyone.

Eventually, the goddess in the doorway got tired of seemingly being ignored and walked closer to Rose, which only made the younger girl's reaction worse. It took another minute of this for the goddess to notice the glazed-over eyes and finally realize what the problem was. She huffed as she yanked the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself before snapping her fingers in front of the dazed redhead.

"Huh?" Rose asked, blinking hard and trying to figure out what was going on.

The woman rolled her eyes and held out her left hand. "Do you have any idea what this is or where it came from? I can't get it off! And Hera knows I tried."

"Oh?" Rose asked again, looking down at the hand and seeing the ring. A very familiar ring. "Ooohh..." Rose said in a low voice as she lifted her own hand to compare. As expected, they matched.

The woman bent down to get a better look and frowned. "How do you have one, too? I don't remember seeing you wearing it last night."

"You'd remember something like that?"

"I honestly don't remember much about last night, at least not until we got back here. What happened then, I'll **never** forget!" the woman said with a self-satisfied grin; yet it faded almost immediately. "But I know I checked your hand before we left that first bar, to be sure you weren't married or engaged. I don't go dancing and drinking with just anyone, never mind go to bed with them afterwards."

"Married!"

"Yes," she replied, frowning again as she toyed with her ring. "These look a little more like engagement rings, come to think of it, though they're not like any I've ever seen."

"They're not," Rose whispered, trying to quell the sudden panic over what she feared she'd gotten herself into.

"What?"

"They're not engagement rings. They're family wedding rings."

"What family?"

"The Black family. Sirius Black, my godfather, named me his heir. Technically, my name is Rose Potter-Black."

"That explains why you're wearing one — you must have taken it off before coming to the bar," the woman said, looking angry as she started tugging on her ring. "I don't appreciate being used to cheat on your fiancé or husband, by the way. But why do I have one? And why can't I get it off?"

Rose looked up at her and shook her head. "They can only be worn by married members of the Black family."

"Married?" the woman asked, clearly confused. "I'm not married! And I'm certainly not married to anyone in the Black family!"

Rose stood up from the bed, heedless of her nudity, and started desperately searching for something that would help explain their predicament. On the dresser, underneath her bra, she found several pieces of paper — including a piece of heavy parchment with the words "Marriage Certificate" in big, bold letters across the top.

 _Diana?_ Rose read as her heart skipped several beats. _Now I know her name, at least._

"Suffering Sappho!" a pale Diana said when Rose handed her the certificate. "This can't be genuine. Two women can't marry — it's illegal!"

Rose herself was focused on a flyer from someplace called "Elvis' Magical Wedding Emporium and Espresso Bar." She grimaced at the dim memory of a smiling Elvis before handing the flyer over. "I think these are the people who did the ceremony. Maybe they can explain?"

"They'd better be able to explain!" Diana growled, snatching the thong as it passed by her head before hunting for the rest of her clothes. While they got dressed, it dawned on Rose that they wouldn't be having that promised repeat of the previous night's activities now — and judging by Diana's attitude, they probably never would, which meant she might never learn what her first time had been like.

 _Typical Potter luck_ , she lamented while struggling with her bra. _My first time was with an insanely beautiful goddess, and I can't remember even the tiniest bit of it! And how in Merlin's name can I be married? Married! It's not possible!_

* * *

By the time she was dressed, Diana had calmed enough to try calling the place first rather than storming over there and throwing people through walls. "The last thing I need right now is for my temper to get me into trouble here," she muttered as she dialed the number, while Rose tilted her head against Diana's so they could both listen.

A woman answered, her voice occasionally punctuated by the sound of her gum cracking as she spoke around it. "Hello, Elvis' Magical Wedding Emporium and Espresso Bar, can I help you?"

"Yes, hi, are you open right now?" Diana asked the woman.

"Sure thing, hon, we're open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! But I'm afraid we're pretty booked for the rest of the morning—"

"No, no, I don't want to make an appointment. I, um, it seems that I was already there last night..."

"Well, congratulations! No refunds, though — all weddings are final."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Is the person who was performing weddings last night still there, by any chance?"

"Sure, hon, I think Reggie's taking his break now. Just a minute."

After a lengthy pause, a deep, resonant male voice came on the phone. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, it seems that I was there for a wedding last night, but... well, to be perfectly honest, I don't remember it."

The man chuckled lightly. "Well, you're certainly not the first, ma'am. I suppose you'd like some of the missing details?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, yes."

"Not a problem. What's your name?" he asked.

"Diana Prince."

"Hm, let me see here. It was a pretty busy night for us." They could hear him flipping through papers. "Prince... Prince... no, I'm sorry, there's no Prince wedding here. Are you sure you have the right place? Maybe it was a different chapel?"

The two women heaved a sigh. "No, I doubt it — your flyer was here with the alleged marriage certificate."

"It must have been a prank my adopted uncle played on us," Rose put in.

"Exactly," Diana agreed, smiling in relief. "I knew it couldn't be real. There's no way you'd marry two women."

"Women?" the man asked. "Oh, you mean the Potter-Black wedding? Why didn't you say so? Yes, I did that last night — I remember you now."

"But... but..." Diana stammered.

"Yes, right here," the man continued. "Rose Potter-Black and Diana Potter-Black née Prince. Sorry, I was looking for the married names before. What is it that you need to know?"

"It's illegal for two women to get married!" Diana protested.

"In the mundane world, sure, but this is a magical wedding emporium. Our name lets people know that we handle magical weddings too, and same-sex marriage has been legal in magical North America for quite a long time."

"Magical?"

"That's right, we've got all the magical paperwork here," he answered. "We got drops of blood from both of you, proving that you were authorized for a magical marriage. Heh, we needed three drops from each of you, your blood alcohol levels were so high — no wonder you can't remember! Then we needed another three to get the requisite blood for the binding marriage certificate."

Both women looked down at the document Rose was holding, finally realizing what the two reddish-brown spots were.

"We also have a copy of the signed permission form from Rose Potter-Black's magical guardian."

"Guardian?" Diana asked sharply. Rose winced.

"Yep, let's see... here it is. It says, 'I, Sirius Black, hereby give my amazing goddaughter, Rose Potter-Black, permission to do whatever the hell she wants, because I'm such a devilishly awesome godfather and she bloody well deserves it. And if some meddling old coot with an overly large nose tries to stop her, hex him in the bollocks for me.' I have to admit, it's a little unorthodox for a guardian's permission form, but the magic checked out, so we were legally obliged to accept it."

"Sweet Merlin!" Rose exclaimed, suddenly remembering the note Remus had found among the gold Sirius had left for them. This whole trip had been his idea, even before the fiasco at the Ministry...

"You also signed the waiver acknowledging that once you consummate your marriage, it's impossible to get an annulment, and divorce isn't possible for at least three years."

"That's... interesting," Diana said. "Thank you. Thank you very much." She then hung up and fixed Rose with a hard stare. "Guardian?" she said again. "How old _are_ you?"

Rose sighed and ejected her wand from its invisible wrist holster, then cast _Finite!_ at her face. She couldn't feel it, but she knew that various small lines disappeared, her cheeks filled out, her red hair lengthened, and a dozen other little things changed that returned her to looking like a teenager. When she and Remus had arrived, they'd been informed that anyone over fifteen was allowed to perform magic, just so long as it wasn't in front of non-magicals. She'd originally assumed that Diana was a muggle when they met at the bar, but if she was authorized to have a magical wedding, that must have meant that she was authorized to see magic performed.

"How old?" Diana asked again, looking more than a bit horrified.

"I just turned sixteen," Rose said a little defensively as she crossed her arms. "I'm not _that_ young. I'm not a child!"

"Merciful Minerva!" Diana exclaimed as she got up off the bed and started pacing back and forth. "Sixteen! Back home on Themyscira that wouldn't be a problem. I mean, when I was sixteen... but here in America..."

"How old are _you?"_ Rose demanded.

"I'm eighteen."

"So not that much older than me!" Rose said, torn between thinking it cool that she'd been with someone older and more experienced, and upset that not only was she married, she was married to someone _old_.

"That's not the point!" Diana complained. "You're a minor!" She stopped at that, then sat heavily back on the bed and put her head in her hands. "Artemis shield me! Forget about the marriage, we had sex last night! Multiple times! I'll be thrown in jail!"

"How do you think I feel?" Rose retorted. "I came on this vacation to get away from the pressures back home. To get away from adults who want to use and control me. I went off on my own last night because even the adult who brought me here hovers over me. And now I'm tied down in a marriage when I don't even remember the wedding?"

"You at least aren't facing jail!"

"Somehow, I think that if that were an issue, it wouldn't have been possible for us to get married in the first place," Rose said. "I don't know what the muggle laws are, but apparently magical laws allow for sixteen-year-olds to marry eighteen-year-olds. Even when they're blind drunk. I mean, it did allow two women to get married, even if that's illegal for muggles."

Diana lifted her head from her hands and looked at Rose, blinking hard several times. "What is that, 'muggle'? And what do you know about magic?"

"Muggles are people who don't have magic," Rose explained. "At least, that's the term used in Britain. I guess you use a different term here. And magic... well, it's magic. Like, y'know, with a wand?" She pulled out her wand again and waved it in the air, creating multi-colored sparks.

"You cast magic... through a stick?"

"It's a wand," Rose corrected, frowning. "All witches and wizards in Britain use them. Don't you?"

Diana stiffened and seemed to pull back slightly. "You're a witch?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "It's not like in the cartoons or movies. Well, not exactly. I do have a cauldron. And a pointy hat, come to think of it. And... I do fly on a broomstick. ...OK, I guess it _is_ like the cartoons, but I don't cackle! And I don't have warts, either. Really, every magical female is called a witch, and every magical male is called a wizard."

"Sorry," Diana replied, visibly relaxing. "I know someone who is considered a witch. Circe is her name, and she's caused so many problems. So much pain and suffering. She believes she needs to kill me in order to prevent me from killing her, even though I honestly don't wish her dead."

"Yeah, I know what _that's_ like," Rose muttered. "I can assure you, I'm nothing like that."

Diana nodded. "So, do all witches and wizards use wooden sticks... er, I mean, wands?"

"Powerful witches and wizards can do a few spells wandlessly, but otherwise, yeah. You don't?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Then how do you cast spells?"

"I don't," Diana admitted. "One of my friends, Zatanna, does, but she doesn't use a wand. And she doesn't call herself a witch. I've never seen Circe use one, either."

"Then... are you a squib?" Diana looked at her questioningly, so she clarified, "A squib is a non-magical person born to magical parents."

"No. I'm nothing at all like that." Sighing, she stood up, stepped back away from the bed, and put her arms straight out before launching into a spin. Rose was briefly blinded by a flash of light, and when she could see again, Diana Prince was gone. In her place was an even more gorgeous woman wearing what looked like leather and bronze armor which was... incredibly form fitting. And revealing, which didn't seem to Rose to be quite appropriate for armor, but she was much too entranced by the sight to object. The woman also wore large, metal bracelets with swords etched into them and a gold tiara on her head, and there was a golden rope hanging from her waist.

"Diana?" Rose asked, and when the woman nodded, she added, "You look great — amazing, even — but it's a strange outfit. And what does it have to do with magic?"

Diana frowned at the unexpected reaction. "You mean, you don't recognize me?" Rose shook her head. "Huh," Diana said before sitting down again. "That's surprising. But... kind of nice, actually."

"Should I recognize you?" Rose asked before she was distracted by the sight of Diana's ample cleavage.

"I go by the name of Wonder Woman," Diana explained. "I'm an Amazon warrior who was sent by my people as an emissary to help teach the world about our ideals — love, peace, justice, and equality. I'm famous all across the world, to be honest, which is why I'm surprised that you don't recognize me."

"Amazon, huh?" Rose said softly. "That would, um, explain how buff you are."

Diana turned to look at the distracted girl. "You like strong women, I take it?"

"I've, uh, never seen anyone like you before," Rose said, licking her lips. "But yeah, I sure do."

Diana put a finger under Rose's chin and gently lifted her head. "My eyes are up here."

Rose was immediately lost in the woman's deep blue eyes. "Yeah, they sure are."

Diana sighed and shook her head. "You need to focus."

"Sorry," Rose said, blushing. "You're... well, you're pretty fantastic. After Hermione rejected me, I was sure that I'd never find someone I could be with romantically. I mean, one of the things that attracted me to Hermione, aside from her being pretty and smart and all, was the fact that she treated me like a regular person. She accepted me as just plain Rose."

"Why would that be an issue?"

Rose grimaced, then lifted her bangs to reveal the scar on her forehead. "It has to do with this, and the fact that I'm known as the Girl Who Lived. I'm famous too, but I'm famous in a small, closed community of witches and wizards." Rose then proceeded to give Diana a more detailed biography than she had the night before, starting with the murder of her parents and ending with the fight in the Department of Mysteries, not long before her pseudo-uncle Remus came to her with a bag of money and a letter from her godfather, telling them to take a vacation outside Britain.

By the end, Diana was holding the younger girl close. "There are a lot of things in that story of yours that don't make sense," she said when Rose was calm again. She held up one hand to forestall Rose's protest. "I don't mean that I don't believe you. Quite the opposite, in fact — I completely trust you."

Rose lifted her left hand and touched the ring. "I wonder if it's because of these? Sirius told me there were all sorts of special enchantments on them to help the married couple be closer, but I didn't ask for any details. I didn't think they'd ever be relevant to me."

Diana frowned, looking at her own ring. "We do need to find out more — those details could be important. But no, I trust you because I can tell when people lie to me. What I meant when I said that things in your story don't make sense is that some of the things that happened to you strike me as suspicious. I think you've been without proper support for far too long."

"Yeah, no one has cared much about what happens to me, even most of the adults," Rose admitted as she stared at her lap. "Only Hermione cares, and she can only do so much for me."

Diana reached out with both hands and cupped Rose's cheeks, forcing the younger girl to meet her gaze. "Well, now you have me," she declared. "I shall return with you to your world and aid you against your foes." For a moment, her voice took on a depth and resonance that hadn't been there before.

"What about your job here? You can't simply give that up to follow me!"

Diana appeared troubled as she dropped her hands and looked away. "I... I'm not sure about my mission here anymore." When the silence wore on, Rose touched her arm gently, and Diana reluctantly turned back to face her.

"You remember that I said I killed someone?" she began, and Rose nodded. "Well, Max Lord was someone whom everyone trusted, but his heart was as black as pitch. He insinuated himself into the lives of heroes like me because he wanted to destroy us, claiming that because of our powers, we are a threat to the rest of humanity. He almost succeeded."

"How?" Rose whispered.

"His most recent plot involved taking control of the mind of Superman." When Rose looked at her in confusion, Diana shook her head ruefully. "It's easy to forget how little you know of us. Suffice it to say that Superman is the single most powerful man on the planet, perhaps only a little more powerful than me, if that. Under Lord's control, he nearly beat to death Batman, our closest friend and a leader among us heroes. Then the two of us fought, but I was at a disadvantage because I didn't want to seriously hurt him; he, in contrast, was fighting to kill."

"Oh, no!" Rose gasped, reaching out to take Diana's hand.

"He injured me, but I managed to create a diversion long enough to get to Lord to interrogate him. I can force people to tell the truth, and when I asked him how to free Superman, he had but one answer: 'Kill me.'"

"That was the choice you had to make?"

"Superman was nearly upon me by that point. I had mere seconds to choose between killing Max Lord, trying to kill Superman, or letting Superman kill me so he could then start killing the rest of the earth's heroes. With me gone, the others wouldn't have stood much of a chance, even working together. That's how powerful Superman is."

"I'll bet he would have moved on to witches and wizards, if Lord ever found out about them," Rose observed.

Diana looked thoughtful for a moment. "You're probably right. He seemed to fear and hate anyone with more power than him. Regardless, I made my choice. I didn't know that he was broadcasting the fight to the entire world, not that that would have changed anything. So everyone watched me break his neck. I didn't kill a mighty opponent in the heat of battle, but a bound, unarmed man in cold blood."

"And your friends turned their backs on you?"

"Yes, even though it should have been clear that I saved their lives as well as the lives of countless others," Diana said, shaking her head slowly. "Superman and Batman believe that there are always alternatives to killing." She stopped for a moment, and Rose could see that she was struggling with what she wanted to say. "I respect them both, not only for their skills and courage, but for their moral characters. I respect their refusal to kill, and their insistence on trying to bring in criminals alive so they can be rehabilitated. It's what I was raised to do as well. However..."

When she trailed off, Rose continued the thought: "However, sometimes killing is the only viable option." Diana looked her in the eye for a long moment before nodding. Rose went on, "I said that I killed when I was eleven, but I didn't do it intentionally. I didn't even fully realize what I'd done until months later." She paused as she tried to gather strength for what she needed to explain. "So I've never deliberately killed, but I don't have that luxury anymore."

"Why?" Diana asked, shifting a little closer.

"When I told you about the fight in the Ministry, I said that the prophecy sphere broke. What I didn't say was that it smashed to the floor of the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. With Voldemort, the Minister of Magic, and a whole slew of aurors, reporters, and Ministry employees watching."

"And after such a horrible year, too?" Diana exclaimed in sympathy. "What did the prophecy say?"

Rose closed her eyes, allowing herself to return to that night in the atrium, and recited the words that had been seared into her mind: _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, but they will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

"So, it's you or him. No wonder you said you understood my problems with Circe," Diana concluded. "Only you can stop Voldemort, but if you don't, he kills you and takes over your world."

"And then the rest of the world, too, I suspect."

Diana nodded. "Such people are rarely satisfied with just a little power. Like Maxwell Lord, they always reach out for more and more, caring nothing for those they hurt or kill in the process."

"What's worse, everyone knows it, too," Rose said. "It's bad enough that Voldemort knows, but now everyone in wizarding Britain is looking to me to be their savior. I'm only sixteen... well, I was only fifteen when this happened, but that didn't matter. Lots of people back home are calling to have me pushed out into battle, regardless of how little training and education I've gotten so far. That's one reason why I agreed to this vacation in America: I had to get away, even if only for a little while. I can't stand everyone trying to control me, telling me what to do. People who care nothing for me are trying to make decisions about my life — not for my sake, but for their own." Rose's voice grew plaintive. "All I want is a chance to live a normal life. To have the same problems that other, normal teenagers have."

"You've been given a terrible burden. It would be difficult for anyone to bear, never mind someone as young as you. What are people doing about it, though?"

Rose shrugged. "A lot of them seem to regard the prophecy as permission to not do anything themselves. They say it's my job, and my job alone. I'm expected to kill and to win — to deliver peace and safety to everyone else, no matter what it costs me." She let that hang in the air for a moment, then exhaled heavily. "I don't know how I'm going to do it. Sometimes I'm not even sure I want to bother, and most of the time I doubt that I'll succeed. After all, the prophecy doesn't say that I'll win, only that one of us has to kill the other."

"Well, you won't have to face him alone," Diana said firmly as she put her arm around Rose's shoulders and pulled her close.

"In the end, though, it's him or me," Rose said in a small voice. "And I don't know how I'll be able to win. To kill him."

Diana shook her head. "Like I said, you won't be alone. When you decide to return, I will be with you, right by your side. And I'll stay by your side until the end."

"Really?" Rose asked, her voice betraying how hard it was for her to believe that. It wasn't the first time someone had promised to support her.

"Really."

"But... why?" In her experience, it was only her friends — people her own age — who'd ever followed her lead, who'd gone along with her decisions. Adults only ever tried to push her down paths of their own choosing, often without bothering to explain themselves.

"I told you that my closest friends, as well as the public, have turned their backs on me. One of the reasons I was in that bar last night, aside from just feeling sorry for myself, was that I was trying to decide what to do next. I can't easily continue my mission as I have been because the people no longer trust me. It makes me wonder if I'm even up to the task; yet I don't want to return to my home in disgrace. Helping you will let me continue my mission, albeit on a smaller scale."

Diana paused for a moment, then added, "But even if that weren't the case, I'd still come with you."

Rose looked at her in surprise. "But... you hardly know me."

"You didn't know Hermione well when you jumped on the back of a mountain troll to save her, and I'm much more capable than you were at eleven," she said reasonably. "Besides, I can hardly let my new wife march off into battle by herself, now can I?"

"Wife? I mean, sure, technically we are married, but... how can you think of me that way? You can't be happy about being stuck married to me. I'm just a kid, compared to you, and I'm not exactly a great catch. I'm too skinny, I hardly have any hips, my chest is practically flat — especially compared to yours — and I... I..."

Diana smiled reassuringly and reached out with her free hand to gently stroke Rose's hair, calming the girl down. "I wouldn't have walked out of that bar with you if I hadn't felt a reasonably strong attraction to you. I wouldn't have made love to you all night if I weren't expecting — or at least hoping — to start a long-term relationship of some sort with you. Amazons don't simply jump into bed with strangers for casual sex, no matter how good it is. The age difference is a surprise, but as an Amazon warrior I was considered of age at sixteen, so it's not a deal-breaker for me. And as for the marriage... while I admit I can't remember the ceremony, I know I wouldn't have agreed to it if I didn't have strong feelings for you and weren't serious about our relationship. We Amazons do not treat marriage lightly, and that ties back in with why I insist on returning to Britain with you to help you confront the growing evil there."

Rose's expression shifted from hopeful to happy, then slowly slid to disappointment.

"What's wrong?" Diana asked, confused.

"About the sex," Rose said. "You've mentioned more than once that last night was good."

"Mind-blowing," Diana corrected. "Never in my wildest fantasies did I imagine that it was possible for a woman's tongue to do such things — and I know something about the subject. I didn't realize at the time that you were magical, but that explains a lot. If all witches are like you, I have to wonder how your men compete." The grin that had begun to spread across her face at the memory fell suddenly. "Why? Wasn't last night great for you?"

"I have no idea!" Rose exclaimed, close to tears. "I can't remember it! Any of it! And it was my first time, too!"

Diana's eyes widened in surprise before she chuckled. "Well, that means that we'll have to make some new memories. And in the process, maybe I'll manage to remind you of a couple of things." Rose's breath caught as Diana leaned in to kiss her, but just before their lips could meet they were interrupted by a loud buzzing from Rose's shirt pocket.

"What is that?" Diana asked.

Rose yanked out a small mirror and looked at it in alarm. "Oh, shite, it's Sirius! He's going to kill me when he finds out about this! Or prank me. Or both." She bolted for the bathroom.

"Sirius? ...Um, isn't he supposed to be dead?" Diana called after her as the door slammed shut.


	2. Sin City

**A/N:** Were you a little confused by the ending of the previous chapter? If so, you may be scratching your head a bit at the start of this chapter, too. Fear not, though, for all will be explained! If it helps, keep in mind that when Rose first told Diana her past, she didn't really know the woman all that well. Do you think she'd actually reveal _everything?_

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** There's a slight nod in this chapter to _Jamie_ _Evans and Fate's Fool_ , by Mad, Mad Reviewer. It's such an excellent story that it's also this chapter's recommendation, even though I've recommended it before in another fic. Harry Potter goes back in time to fix things, or rather to fix one thing in particular. Unfortunately, he uses a method that ensures that whatever he wanted to get done, he can't get done. No longer the Boy Who Lived, he struggles with parents who are still alive, a Dumbledore who is especially manipulative, unexpected gender issues, and more.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 02 - Sin City**

 **Saturday, August 3, 1996. Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.**

"How's tricks, kitten?"

"Oh, Merlin, I'm so glad you called, Sirius! Well, sorta, I guess. Your timing sucks, but still. Everything's so... so... I'm in _so_ much trouble, Sirius — I don't even know where to begin!"

"There's nothing wrong with the suite I had Moony book, is there?"

"No, the suite is great, it's just..." Rose paused as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Wait, was it _your_ idea to book us into the Excalibur?"

"Sure!" he replied with a grin. "Moony and I went through a bunch of brochure-things from different casinos. As soon as I saw the Camelot theme of the Excalibur, I knew that was the right one! What, don't you like it?"

Rose sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I suppose muggles find it fascinating, but frankly, after living with real magic for several years and learning about the real Merlin, this is all so cheesy!"

Sirius' grin broadened. "Exactly! That's what makes it fun!"

"Fun for you, I suppose," Rose muttered. "It wouldn't have killed you to ask what I wanted."

"Hey, at least I got you a two-bedroom suite so you don't have to listen to Moony snore. I remember what he was like back at Hogwarts."

"Well, he hasn't improved. As it is, I had to cast strong silencing charms on my room the first night." Rose didn't bother to add that those charms had probably helped keep secret her own activities the previous night.

"So what's the problem?"

"Where do I begin?" Rose asked as she slumped to the floor and leaned back up against the glass shower door. "I don't understand it all myself."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Sirius suggested, concerned now.

"No, maybe it would be easier to start with this," Rose said resignedly as she held her left hand up to the mirror, displaying her new ring.

Sirius whistled in appreciation. "Wow, that's a nice... Hey, wait a minute — is that...?"

"One of your family's rings? I think so, but I was hoping you could confirm it for me."

"I'd have to be at Grimmauld Place to see if anything is missing to be absolutely sure," Sirius said. "I'll ask Tonks to try to check when she's there next. Since I brought her and her mother back into the family, she might be able to. For now, though, can you hold it closer?" Rose did as he asked, and after a few moments of turning it this way and that while Sirius made indecipherable noises, he finally concluded, "Yeah, that looks like a family wedding ring. I really hate to ask this, kitten, but did you take—"

"No, Sirius, I didn't," she interrupted, starting to find it difficult to maintain her composure. "I didn't take anything at all from Grimmauld. I wouldn't do that. They appeared this morning. Or maybe last night, I don't know. But they're here now, and... and I don't... I don't..." Rose's voice broke. "I don't know what to do about this!"

Sirius sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to tell you, kitten. If that ring appeared on your hand and you can't take it off...?" She shook her head. "Then that's it — you're married. What's his name?"

"And that's the _other_ problem!" Rose wailed, but before she could elaborate, a brief knock sounded and Diana almost immediately stuck her head in.

"You okay?" she asked in a low voice. At Rose's questioning look, she shrugged and said simply, "I have good hearing."

"I'm sorry," Rose mumbled. "It's not you. It's just..." Silently, Diana sat down on the floor and put her arm around the girl. Rose leaned her head into Diana's shoulder and said dejectedly, "I think it's only hitting me right now that... that I'm married! Me! How can I be married? How do I always get caught up in this sort of thing?"

"It's a lot to take in," Diana agreed. "I'd be more surprised if you _didn't_ have a bit of a breakdown over it. More than once, in fact."

Sirius cleared his throat loudly and said, "Hello, and who might you be?"

"My name is Diana Prin... well, not anymore, I suppose. I'm going to have to get used to that. My name is Diana..." She turned to look quizzically at Rose. "Potter? Black? I don't understand your society's customs, but for some reason it looks like I took your name instead of the other way around, or instead of both keeping our own names. It might be due to the fact that my people don't traditionally use last names. I only use 'Prince' for legal purposes in America."

"Potter-Black, I think, even though we're wearing Black Family rings. But since they are two separate families, perhaps you can use the Black name for all but formal occasions."

Diana nodded. "That would save us a lot of confusion, since otherwise we'd both be Mrs. Potter-Black. And I'm not all that attached to 'Prince' anyway." She then turned back to the mirror where Sirius was staring back at them, his eyes wide in shock. "Diana Potter-Black, née Prince. And I take it you're the late, lamented Sirius Black. You're looking well for a dead man."

"He faked his death," Rose explained when Sirius simply opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Remember how he was thrown in jail without a proper trial for betraying my parents and killing a bunch of people? He figured it might be easier to get his case reopened if he was too 'dead' to be a threat."

Diana nodded. "I can see how that might work, and I can understand why you didn't want to say anything about this earlier."

"You!" Sirius finally cried. "You're a girl!"

"I prefer 'woman,' but otherwise, yes, good catch."

"But so's Rose!"

"Yes, I know. Better than anyone else, I'd wager."

Rose turned scarlet as Sirius' mouth started opening and closing again. "How is that even legal?" he finally managed. "I mean, it must be possible, otherwise the rings wouldn't have appeared, but still... **how**?"

"Apparently it's legal here," Rose answered. "Not among muggles, but it is among wizards and witches."

Diana nodded in agreement. "I was just as surprised as you, Sirius, but it's true."

"How could you get married without knowing it's legal?" Sirius asked, looking even more confused.

Rose and Diana traded a glance before turning back to the mirror sheepishly. "That's a good question," Rose admitted. "Neither of us remember getting married. Well, I do have a vague memory of a pink cake, but otherwise, nothing. I woke up this morning in bed with her, and with no memory of anything from last night after we met in the Excalibur's bar. Nothing clear, at any rate."

"I remember a bit more," Diana chimed in. "I seem to have a higher alcohol tolerance than Rose, so I have a few memories of us going out dancing. I think I remember everything of what happened after we got back to her room, too."

Rose scowled and muttered, "I wish I did."

Diana patted her arm, then went on. "Of the wedding itself, though, I remember nothing. Not the chapel, not the cake, and not even the Elvis impersonator who performed the ceremony. We did call the chapel, though, and confirmed that the marriage certificate we have is genuine."

Sirius' mouth was hanging open again, this time showing his teeth as he fought off a grin. Then he started snorting, and finally he fell back on the floor, howling with laughter. Rose and Diana spent some time staring at his room's ceiling before he could control himself enough to pick the mirror back up.

"It's not funny," Rose protested as Sirius wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Oh, yes it is!" Sirius insisted. "James and I certainly did some wild things after getting drunk, but getting hitched tops them all! And by an Elvis impersonator, no less! Oh, James... he'd be both horrified and proud at the same time. And Lily would find some way to blame him!" Sirius struggled to regain his composure, then continued, "I have to tell you, those rings signify that the family magic accepts your marriage, too, so you can't even pass it off as a horrible mistake. Somehow, in some way, you two are right for each other, and magic has recognized that enough to approve."

"Don't _we_ need to approve, though?" Rose asked, and Diana frowned slightly.

"You did, when you went through the ceremony," Sirius pointed out. "Whatever form of consent you gave, magic must have found it sufficient."

Rose sighed. "I suppose. It's just... it's hard to accept when I don't even remember it. It's hard to escape the feeling that I've been pushed into something without being asked. Again."

Diana gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze before holding up her hand. "Speaking of these rings, what sort of magic exists on them? We can't get them off, and Rose thinks there are enchantments of some sort on them that are supposed to benefit the married couple."

Sirius scratched his chin as he examined the ring. "That's a good question. I'm pretty sure there are at least spells to foster trust. The Black family was never the trusting sort, especially with outsiders. That was one reason for all the inbreeding, I think, over and above the obsession with blood purity."

"I'd appreciate it if you could find out exactly what they do," Diana said. "If I can't avoid being affected by their magic, I'd at least like to understand what their effects are." Rose nodded in agreement, having had far too much experience being subjected to others' magic.

"That's a good idea," Sirius agreed. "I don't like the prospect of my goddaughter — or goddaughter-in-law, I guess — being subjected to Black family magic without knowing more about it, either."

"You don't have a problem with this, do you?" Rose asked a little timidly. "I mean, with the two of us? With me being... you know?"

Sirius sighed heavily as he struggled to formulate an answer. "I take it that this is something you want? I don't mean the marriage, but, you know, being with another gir— er, woman?"

Rose hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She wasn't sure how she was going to deal with a marriage to someone who was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger, but she couldn't deny her preference for partners.

"And I'm guessing this isn't a new thing for you? It's something you already knew about yourself?" Rose nodded again. "Then I'll get used to it. Obviously it's nothing I ever expected or gave much thought to. I certainly wasn't raised to be accepting of such things, but I do love you and want to support you in anything you do. Even this. Just... be patient and give me a little time."

"Thanks, Sirius. It's something we have to get used to ourselves. I've assumed that I'd never get married, for one reason or another, so it's not something I've ever prepared myself for. It's just... something that's happened to me."

"It's as much a surprise for me as it is for you," the older woman pointed out. "I hadn't completely excluded the possibility of marriage someday, but I'll admit that I wasn't prepared for it happening so soon. "

"Sorry," Rose mumbled. "I keep thinking of myself and how this affects me..."

"It's alright," Diana replied, though Rose thought she still sounded a bit hurt. "As you said, you're not prepared for this. You're going to continue thinking of 'you' for a while rather in terms of 'us.' Transitioning from one to the other will take both of us some time." She turned to the mirror before continuing, "And I should point out that this is partially your responsibility, Sirius."

"What? How?"

"You did provide her with a blanket permission note to... how did you phrase it? Oh, right: 'do whatever the hell she wants.' Without that, she would have been too young to get married."

"Ooops," Sirius said, looking chagrined. "I remember now. I was in a bit of a 'tweak Dumbledore's nose' mood when I wrote it. I wasn't happy with how Rose has been treated and was determined to ensure that she had some fun for once."

Diana nodded. "Understandable. I'm not happy with everything I've learned, either. But still..."

"I know, I know." Sirius held up a hand in surrender. "I should know by now to think before acting. At any rate, you'll have plenty of time to work on your marriage. Annulments aren't permitted until five years have passed, assuming you want to at that point."

"It's three years here," Rose replied, not seeing the frown that flashed across Diana's face. "Maybe because they're more tolerant here?"

"Speaking of tolerance, you won't find much of it here in Wizarding Britain," Sirius said. "The taboos against gay and lesbian relationships are pretty strong. Younger witches and wizards might be able to be more flexible, given time, but few of the adults will."

"They aren't accepted in most of the muggle world, either," Diana said.

They all digested that.

"In light of these recent events, I'm thinking Moony should bring you home early," Sirius finally said. "I'm sorry, but it may be necessary to help your new wife get acclimated to society here, as well as help your friends get used to the changes in your life before school starts."

"I suppose," Rose conceded. "I'll admit that I don't feel much like letting loose on a wild vacation anymore, anyway."

"How did Moony react to your nuptials, by the way? Come to think of it, how did he even allow it to happen?" Sirius was frowning now. "I'd have expected him to stop you, or at least _try_ to stop you, even if it were a bloke you were marrying."

"I haven't seen him," Rose said slowly. "Last I saw of him, he was on a winning streak at the craps table last night. That was just before I ducked into the bar and met Diana."

"He's probably sleeping off a hangover, then," Sirius said with a smirk. "You'd better go wake him. Loudly, too — he deserves it for leaving you alone to get married like that. And _he_ berated _me_ more than once for being an irresponsible guardian!"

Rose nodded and left the bathroom, leaving Diana with her new godfather-in-law.

"I suppose it's a bit late for me to inquire what your intentions are towards my goddaughter, but I'd still like to know," Sirius asked, displaying none of the joviality he had before.

Diana held his gaze. "As I told Rose earlier, my people don't believe in casual sex, nor do we treat matters of the heart lightly. Physical and romantic relationships are serious matters for us, though they don't always or necessarily include marriage. I may not remember everything, but I know that I wouldn't have gotten into bed with her last night if I hadn't had the intention of trying for something serious and long-term, regardless of the wedding, so I intend to try to make this work. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I will not toy with her feelings."

"That's good to hear," Sirius said, looking a little surprised. "I don't know if Rose has told you anything about the problems she and her friends have been having back here..."

"She's related the essentials to me," Diana assured him. "I'm sure there's much more, but I think I know enough. Not only does that _not_ dissuade me, but I have already committed myself to helping her fight her enemies. No matter what happens with our relationship, I will see to it that my new wife survives and her enemies are defeated."

"That's... impressive," Sirius said. "But I was actually thinking about the pressure she's been put under because of this damned prophecy."

"I'm aware of that, too. It's a heavy burden for anyone."

"You don't know the half of it," Sirius said, raking his hand through his hair in agitation. "Even before her last school year ended, people started calling on her to fulfill the bloody thing and get it over with — and it's getting worse. I sent Rose to America because she needed a chance to rest, but that wasn't the only reason." He paused for a long moment. "To be honest, I was afraid that if she didn't spend some time away from Britain, she might up and leave on her own. Permanently."

Diana's eyes widened. "Is it truly that bad?"

"It's been a problem for years, and only getting worse."

"She did express some frustration with the attention she gets, and she wishes she could be normal," Diana said.

"That's not an option, I'm afraid," Sirius sighed. "And Dumbledore has only made the situation worse by isolating her in the muggle world. He should have been doing things to prepare her for her fame, for her position in society... for everything. Not just the prophecy."

"I agree. That isn't something a person can adapt to overnight. But I think I can help."

"Really?" Sirius looked hopeful.

Diana nodded. "I, too, have known the burden of significant expectations. I understand the problems that come with wielding power — magical, physical, and political."

"That's something Rose has actually avoided, I think," Sirius mused. "I can't be sure, since we haven't spent much time together, but during the fight in the Ministry I think she was holding back. All the kids were, but Rose especially."

"Holding back?"

"Casting weaker or inferior spells when stronger, more serious spells were called for," he explained. "Hesitating instead of acting decisively. That sort of thing."

"They are young," Diana pointed out, "and for most this was their first serious fight."

"I suppose that's true, but using weak spells when fighting for your life is a problem. Rose in particular is going to have to change because that sort of behavior will get her killed. The Death Eaters who are after her mean business. They raped, tortured, and killed muggles, witches, and wizards all over Britain back in the 1970s, and they're going to do the same again. This is something that affects you, too. Because of your marriage to Rose, you'll be one of their primary targets. They're vicious fighters who won't show you the slightest bit of mercy."

"I know how to handle myself," Diana assured him, giving Sirius a feral smile that made him shiver. "I promise you that—"

"Remus isn't here!" Rose shouted as she barged back into the bathroom. "He's not down in the casino, either. His bed doesn't look like it's been slept in, so I don't think he came back last night."

"Maybe he got lucky?" Sirius said in a hopeful tone.

"He was winning big, and the woman who was hanging off his arm _was_ pretty stacked," Rose conceded, but Diana shook her head.

"We can't afford to simply hope for the best," the Amazon warrior insisted as she stood. "He had a responsibility to watch over you, his charge, so no matter how 'lucky' he got, he should have returned to ensure your wellbeing."

"The Marauders were never the most responsible group." Rose muttered. "They make _me_ look mature..."

"Marauders?" Diana asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Long story," Sirius answered, "but you're right that you shouldn't hope for the best, especially since Moony was the most responsible of us."

"We'll check his bedroom for clues first, then we'll go down to the casino floor to see if anyone remembers what happened to him," Diana suggested.

"Good idea. While you do that, I'll get Tonks over here to see if she has any suggestions."

"Tonks is an auror," Rose explained as she took back the now-empty mirror. "That's a wizarding constable. She's new at the job, but she may have ideas of things we can do to track him down. Especially since he's..." Rose hesitated and looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

Rose sighed. "Normally I wouldn't tell you this, since it's his business and he's a very private man, but maybe you need to know. Remus Lupin is a werewolf."

"They exist? Are they dangerous?"

"They're considered Dark creatures in Britain," Rose said. "Some are nasty and want to infect others, most just want to live quiet, normal lives. Remus is only dangerous when he transforms during the full moon, and even then he retains his human mind so long as he takes a special potion. Still, he suffers horribly from the transformation. On top of that, he's achy and tired during the days before and after the full moon."

"Sounds more like a disease than anything else," Diana said thoughtfully.

"Exactly! No one knows where it came from, and there aren't any treatments except for that potion. Instead of helping them, though, witches and wizards marginalize werewolves, which only makes them more desperate and less likely to be able to afford the potion or containment measures."

"Which ends up making the problem worse," Diana said with a sigh. "And I suppose this Tonks person has some training in hunting werewolves, if they are a potential danger?"

"Probably," Rose agreed, though she wasn't happy about the idea. "If we're lucky, though, we'll find him without having to involve the authorities."

As it turned out, they weren't that lucky. They weren't anywhere _close_ to being that lucky.

* * *

 **Clark County Detention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.**

"According to the statement he gave before passing out last night, he was just looking for a good time." A buzzer sounded and the heavy, barred door in front of them swung open, allowing them to continue deeper into the building. "Early this morning," the deputy continued, "a judge set his bail at one million dollars."

"A million dollars!" Diana exclaimed as Rose stumbled in shock.

"Apparently, he had a _very_ good time," the deputy continued with a smirk. "Fortunately for him, though, the businesses and individuals involved have all agreed to settle for compensation for the damages. That leaves mostly traffic misdemeanors, if he pleads guilty, which will result in fines. So the judge lowered the bail on the condition that he not return to Britain until he pays everything, then leaves and never sets foot in Clark County again."

After what seemed like an endless trek through steel corridors, during which Rose and Diana reluctantly agreed to take care of his bail, they finally reached Remus' cell, where he was snoring loudly on his bunk.

"Wakey, wakey!" the deputy called out, banging on the cell door and causing Remus to jump and fall out of the bunk.

"What? Where? I'm up!" he said before dropping his head into his hands and moaning. "Oh, sweet Merlin!"

"Time to leave," the deputy announced with a grin as he unlocked the door. "These two nice ladies agreed to pay your bail and ensure that you don't go anywhere before settling your many, many bills."

Remus looked up through bleary, bloodshot eyes and winced when he saw Rose standing there, arms crossed and scowling back at him. Then he looked up at the woman standing next to her... and up... and up. He blinked at the sight and appeared to be thoroughly cowed.

"And to think, _you_ were supposed to look after _me_ ," Rose scolded. "I'd have expected this sort of thing from Sirius, were he still with us, but **you**! You're the responsible one!"

"There were... extenuating circumstances," he said weakly as he slowly stood and shuffled out of the cell.

This earned him a hearty laugh from the deputy. "I'll say! I think half the reason the judge was so lenient was because of the entertainment factor!"

Rose and Diana each raised a questioning eyebrow, causing Remus to wince again. "I'll explain later."

"You'd better," Rose said as she pushed him ahead of her.

* * *

 **Mel's Diner, Las Vegas, Nevada.**

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Diana said slowly, glancing to her left where Rose was rubbing her temples and grimacing. At least, she _appeared_ to be grimacing. Somehow, Diana had already learned enough about her new wife to recognize that she was fighting back laughter.

"You were winning big at craps, then while on your way to the men's room you passed by a special slot machine and dropped in a coin which you happened to find on the floor. As a result, you won the grand prize, a brand new Ferrari F355 GTS convertible." Remus nodded gingerly as he sipped his coffee. "And you don't have a license. You don't even know how to drive." Remus shook his head, again very gingerly.

Diana risked another glance at Rose, who was now covering her entire face with her hands.

"The casino didn't ask, of course, because who in America doesn't drive?" Diana continued. "They had you sit in the car so they could take publicity photos, and you happily obliged them, though you refused to relinquish your complimentary drink. You also insisted that Betty, the amply endowed lady who had been with you at the craps table, blowing on your dice and rubbing her implants all over you, be allowed to sit in the car with you."

Remus flinched and nodded again. He refused to meet her eyes and instead focused on one of the stains in the tabletop.

"And is that when you decided that it would be an excellent time to start learning how to drive?"

"Apparently," Remus mumbled. Diana felt Rose shaking next to her but refused to look.

"The publicity people thought it was great when you started it up and revved the engine, even though you were still inside the casino," Diana swept on. "So no one stepped in when Betty explained how to put the car into gear and drive it. No, it was only when you stomped on the accelerator and sped out of the lobby, crashing through the glass front doors, that anyone realized that something might be amiss."

Diana felt Rose lean into her in what she assumed was an attempt to steady herself.

"And that's when, according to you, things got really interesting," Diana went on in as clinical a manner as possible so as to be infected by Rose's giggling. "You spent the next fifteen minutes speeding up and down the Vegas Strip, evading the police and managing not to hit anyone yourself, though of course you caused numerous traffic accidents as everyone else rushed to get out of your way." Remus had the decency to look mortified. "It was only when you finished your drink that you decided to finally stop somewhere. Betty, who had been egging you on the entire time, told you about a drive-through bar which you decided you just _had_ to try out. Feeling appreciative, and now having a free hand, you also decided to grope your new best friend." She paused, searching for words. "At which point you discovered that you'd... bitten off more than you could chew."

"That's one way to put it," Rose said as she started to cackle. Diana noted that this was one of the stereotypical things which Rose had insisted she _didn't_ do.

Remus put his head in his hands and slowly nodded.

"Betty — whose birth name, it turns out, is Boris, and who happens to be a transsexual prostitute — screamed." Diana paused again. "Or maybe it was you who screamed? Either way, someone screamed, and you lost control — whether due to surprise or being pleasantly distracted — swerving your brand new Ferrari into the back of a flatbed tow truck that happened to have just finished unloading a car. That was when you went airborne, thus allowing you to try your hand at learning how to fly. That didn't go any better than your driving lesson. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, your fall was broken slightly when you pancaked onto the police cars that had finally set up a roadblock for you. A group of officers from Reno who happened to be in town visiting, apparently."

Rose cackled even louder, and Diana tried to hush her so she wouldn't draw too much attention.

"Now I understand all the whistles and cat calls from the police as we left the jail," Diana concluded as she sipped her coffee.

"That also explains the picture on the front page of today's _Las Vegas Review-Journal_ ," Rose said as she pulled out the paper they'd gotten in the hotel lobby and which had first alerted them to Remus' predicament. There was Remus, front and center, writhing on the ground while being tasered by five different police officers at once. Betty was in the background, riding piggyback on another officer as she wailed on the poor man's head to get him away from Remus.

"You should frame this," Diana observed mildly. "The photographer did a marvelous job, capturing the expression on your face at precisely the right moment. I've never seen a person stick their tongue out that far."

"Pity it's not a magical paper — this would be even better if it were moving," Rose added with a grin.

Remus pulled his fingers apart and stared at the large, muscular woman. "I'm sorry, but who are you again, exactly?" he asked.

Diana gave Remus a toothy smile. "I'm Diana Potter-Black," she replied, causing him to frown in confusion.

"My wife," Rose interjected. "So be nice."

The poor man's eyes shifted back and forth between the two in horror. "Wife? What? How?"

Rose shrugged, having entirely too much fun at Remus' expense to still be upset. "You got drunk and wrecked half the strip with a prostitute. I got drunk and married a veritable goddess. I think I win."

That was when Remus' head hit the table with a resounding _thunk_. "Oh, sweet Merlin! Sirius is going to kill me when he finds out!" A thought seemed to occur to him, and his head rose again with desperate hope on his face. "Maybe we don't have to tell him? You two can get a quick annulment, and I'll find a place we can get a black market portkey, then—"

Rose interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "Sorry, Remus, but it's far too late for that."

"Huh?"

She pulled the mirror from her pocket — a mirror which had already been activated and was showing Sirius' annoyed face.

"Oh, no," Remus whispered.

"Oh, yes," Sirius said. "I am very, very disappointed in you, Moony. Very disappointed indeed that you went out and did all those things." Diana thought the werewolf was about to cry.

"Disappointed," Sirius continued as his stern expression suddenly transformed into a grin, "that you did all that without taking me! That's, like, a dream come true! And you did it without me!"

"You dream about groping transsexual prostitutes?" Diana asked.

"No, not that part," Sirius said, waving her comment away. "But all the rest was so... so... **awesome**!"

"Hey, Wolfie," came a new voice as a young woman with bubblegum-pink hair pushed in front of Sirius. "You should have told me that that's what it took to float your boat! I could have accommodated you, and you wouldn't have had to go trying to pay for it!"

"TMI! TMI!" Sirius exclaimed, pushing the woman away. "I do _not_ need to know that about either my little cousin _or_ my best friend. Keep that shit to yourselves, Tonks."

Remus' head thudded back on the table, and Diana was sure that he was crying now.

"Hey, Remus, stop feeling sorry for yourself," Sirius said after a few moments. "We'll have a long talk about your solo pranking adventures later."

"I'm going to regret it, aren't I?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded emphatically. "Ohhh, yes — you violated the Marauder Code, and you will pay for that."

"And once he's done with you, the two of us will have a long talk, too, wolfie," Tonks' voice came from the background.

"But in the meantime, we need to help Rose," Sirius continued, raising his voice in an obvious but futile attempt to not think about what Tonks wanted to discuss. "Rose is married at the tender age of sixteen — and to another gi... woman, no less, and there's no possibility of annulment for several years. You know how that'll be received back here. We need to get her and her lovely bride home so we can start dealing with things."

Remus nodded slowly. "You're absolutely right, we do need to get back to Britain. Hopefully my winnings from last night will cover most of the damages and fines. If I don't have enough, do you think..."

"Don't worry about it," Sirius said dismissively. "I, at least, remember the Marauder Code, which includes the proviso that we always share in the punishments, or at least chip in to help each other with the punishments, regardless of whether we were involved in the prank or not."

"Knowing how the courts work, it will be a week at least before we can leave, maybe two," Diana pointed out.

"That will give me time to adjust my plans," Sirius said. "I had intended to remain dead for a while longer, but I can't do that and support Rose at the same time."

"Sirius..." Rose began, but she was quickly cut off.

"No, this is more important," Sirius said. "It will cause some difficulties, but you're worth it. At the very least, you'll need support when dealing with members of the Order. If we can convince Fudge to give me a posthumous pardon, then I'll be able to come out into the open and support you publicly as well. You'll need it, believe me."

"Won't Dumbledore be able to do that?" Rose asked. "I may not be happy with him and his decisions, but he has gotten his power and influence back by now, hasn't he? Surely public support from him would go a long way?"

"Dumbledore may be liberal in a lot of ways, especially when compared to the blood purists, but he's culturally conservative in other ways," Remus explained. "There's nothing inherently bad about him wanting to preserve a culture he's lived in for more than a century, but that sort of conservatism isn't usually compatible with tolerance of relationships like yours. At least not public, political support for them. So we can't assume that he'll just throw his weight behind you."

"And that's not taking into account how annoyed he probably is because of your disappearing act," Sirius added."

"How do _you_ feel about relationships like ours?" Diana asked Remus pointedly.

Remus sighed and wiped his hand across his face. "Honestly, I guess it's going to take some getting used to. However, as a victim of constant bigotry through most of my life, I can at least tell you that regardless of any personal feelings I may have, I strongly object to either of you suffering any discrimination on account of your relationship. Just because people disapprove doesn't mean they should treat you worse because of that."

Rose seemed to release a breath she'd been holding. "Thanks, Remus,"

"I'll do what I can to help," Remus said with a pained smile, "but most of the people who will look down on you already look down on me. Endorsements from me might do more harm than good."

"And endorsements from me may not be a lot better," Sirius said with a frown. "Even if I do get pardoned, people will still be suspicious of me. The Ministry has spent too much time and effort vilifying me for people's attitudes to change overnight."

"Then we need the support of someone whose character is more highly regarded," Diana concluded. "Someone like Dumbledore, even though some of his decisions with regards to Rose are questionable."

"Tonks and I will work on that," Sirius offered. "With everyone clamoring for Rose to fulfil the prophecy and vanquish Voldemort, we should be able to extract public support from _someone_ for her new marriage and relationship. It may not be easy, but if people think that insulting or attacking Rose might lead to her abandoning them and Britain, they may start changing their tune."

"Or they'll take it as a threat and react accordingly," Diana said. "People who are backed into a corner have a tendency to lash out at the nearest, easiest target. That will be us, not your Dark Lord."

"She's right," Remus said. "You need to be careful about what you say."

"And I'd appreciate it if you didn't go making decisions for me," Rose muttered.

Sirius scowled. "Alright, I won't do anything definitive until after you get here. It's only a week or so."

"Maybe a bit longer than that," Diana said.

"How so?" Remus asked.

"Moving to Britain with Rose and helping her with her fight will be a significant change in my life and mission," Diana said. "I cannot in good conscience move forward without first visiting the island of my birth and informing my mother. Besides, I should introduce my mother to my new wife, don't you think?" She smiled at Rose, who went pale while both Remus and Sirius sniggered in the background.

"M-mother? I have to meet your mother?"


	3. Cold Deck

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _The Many Deaths of Harry Potter_ , by ShayneT. The Boy Who Lived is also the Boy Who Keeps Dying. No one knows it, but every time Harry Potter dies, he resets back to an earlier point in his life. Because of how much more competent and ruthless Voldemort and his supporters are, this happens to Harry quite a bit more often than it would have in canon. This is superficially similar to the traditional "time travel fix it fic," but it's definitely darker, and Harry doesn't have nearly as easy of a time as is typical. This story was just finished and is definitely worth reading.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 03 - Cold Deck**

 **Sunday, August 4, 1996. Hogwarts Castle, Scotland.**

Albus Dumbledore poked at the spinning, whirring device with his wand and cast another spell. When nothing changed after several long moments, he sighed and pushed it away from him on his desk. He'd spent the entire day once more attempting to get his monitoring devices to tell him where Rose Potter was, and once again, nothing had worked. They continued to inform him that she was healthy, which was something, but he couldn't get a location out of them. Not even a direction!

Yet as bad as all that was, none of it came close to the disaster that had happened the previous night when the device monitoring the blood wards on Privet Drive had blown up. The wards had been fading all summer, and Dumbledore had hoped that there might be time to get her back to recharge them for the year. Now they were gone entirely. That should only have been possible once she came of age, which wouldn't happen for another year.

"What do we do now?" Snape asked. "No one in the Order has been able to find any trace of her."

"And Remus?" Dumbledore inquired.

"The werewolf is still missing as well," Snape answered, the sneer unmistakable in his voice.

"It seems likely that they are together, then," Dumbledore concluded, "either under strong wards or much too far away for my devices to track."

"Or both."

Dumbledore nodded. "Or both. As unfortunate as that is, there is some good news, for it means she is safe. Remus would die to protect her."

"Except from himself."

"He will take precautions."

"He's already nearly bitten her and her friends once," Snape pointed out. "Need I remind you that it was not the first time he's put students in danger?"

Dumbledore sighed. "You are right about that. Remus' heart is in the right place, but he's shown that he can be careless. Nevertheless, she is safer with him than she would be in most places, except headquarters. It also means that we can expect her to return for the coming term. I don't think it likely that he'd help her abandon Hogwarts entirely."

"You can bet that Black is behind this," Snape said sullenly. "Probably thought it would be a great prank, getting his goddaughter to run away, forcing us to waste time and resources looking for her."

"Now, now, Severus, let us not speak ill of the dead. I agree that Sirius may have inspired this bit of youthful rebellion, but it does no good to lay blame on him like that." Dumbledore trailed off and remembered that he had yet to hear from Gringotts about a will reading for Sirius. _We were lucky that he had already reinstated Nymphadora and her mother into the Black family, allowing the young auror to take control of Grimmauld Place for the Order. Hopefully the rest of Sirius' possessions have been left to—_

"Any success with the blood wards?" Snape asked, jolting him back to the matter at hand.

"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore admitted, setting aside his thoughts for the moment. "Alastor rechecked them this morning and informed me that they are gone for good. Privet Drive will no longer be safe for her. I'll need to make time to talk to her family and convince them to move away for their own safety."

"Clearly she did something to undermine the protections you placed her under. She should never have been given as much freedom—"

"Now, now, Severus," Dumbledore chided. "We don't know that this was her fault. It might have been something else entirely. We shouldn't rush to place blame."

Snape snorted in disbelief, then repeated his earlier question: "So what do we do now?"

"I need to find time in the next few days to make a trip to the Dursleys to convince them to leave. Everyone else will need to keep an eye out for Remus and Miss Potter, but more of our attention should be redirected back to keeping an eye on Voldemort. I assume he still doesn't suspect anything?"

"No, he believes that she is still under your protection."

"There's no chance that he has her and is concealing that fact?"

"If he had captured her, he'd waste no time announcing it to the world. He'd parade her body up and down Diagon Alley."

Dumbledore nodded. "True, his penchant for drama and theater would not allow him to keep such a victory quiet for long. Very well, let him continue believing she is protected. We don't want him looking for her."

"And the Ministry?"

"Cornelius continues to insist that he be allowed to speak with her. With all the public calling for her to be flung at Voldemort in the expectation that she will vanquish him, he's under a lot of pressure to ensure exactly that happens. He spent last year throwing her to the wolves in denying Voldemort's return, and now I think he's preparing to throw her to the Death Eaters to put an end to said return. Thus far, I've been unsuccessful in convincing him that as an underaged witch, Miss Potter needs to learn a lot more before she can be expected to fight."

"Perhaps if you had started training her sooner?" Snape suggested. "She's had to fight every year she's been here, though that's been due to her own arrogance and refusal to follow the rules."

"If I had done that, she might have grown up to become as arrogant as you believe her to be," Dumbledore responded, ignoring Snape's scowl. "No, she already has access to far more social and political power than anyone her age ought to, and that will only get worse over time. Add to that her prodigious magical talents, and we'd have a recipe for disaster." The old wizard paused for a moment, lost in thought. "She needed to grow up far from her fame so she could have a normal childhood, and she needs to learn restraint so she can be trusted with the power thrust upon her."

"Assuming there is yet time," Snape replied, unconvinced. "If the Ministry discovers she is missing..."

"Then Voldemort will learn within the hour," Dumbledore finished. "I know, which is why I will have to find other ways to distract them. In the meantime, please continue keeping Voldemort in the dark. I'll let you know when I need more."

* * *

 **Friday, August 16, 1996. Themyscira, Location: Hidden.**

Rose's head swiveled this way and that, trying to take in all the sights at once as Diana led her down the busy main street through Themyscira. Everywhere she looked, she found stately buildings, graceful fountains, and walkways lined with trees, flowers, and elegant statuary. All of it was clearly planned and maintained with exquisite care, yet somehow the combined effect was to enhance the natural world around them rather than supplant it. The contrast with Vegas couldn't have been greater: whereas the capital of gambling had seemed hollow and fake, here Rose found a deep sense of reality and truth everywhere she turned.

"This all looks Greek. Or is it Roman?" she asked, looking up at a massive building with large columns. As she walked, she tried to surreptitiously adjust the complicated robe which Diana had draped about her earlier. Despite her long familiarity with school robes, somehow it felt very different from anything she'd ever worn at Hogwarts.

"Greek," Diana answered. "Our culture, including art and architecture, all come from ancient Greece. The city itself is over 3,000 years old. It was originally located in modern-day Turkey, near the Aegean, but the Olympian gods transported it to its own island when we were at risk of being overrun. Because it is a sanctuary, we have often called it Paradise Island."

"It's beautiful enough to be a paradise, that's for sure. It's even better than Diagon Alley." The beauty wasn't just in the architecture, though: it was also in the people. Rose had never seen so many beautiful and statuesque women before. Even Diana herself looked taller and brighter, though that might have been due to how much she was smiling. Rose found it difficult not to stare at her new wife and smile herself.

"Diagon Alley — that's your main shopping area, is it not?"

Rose nodded. "It was my first introduction to the magical world. It was impressive — at least at first."

"But...?"

"But there's a lot of ugliness behind the facade," Rose said. She didn't elaborate; she didn't need to.

"This is the main street, and many of our most important buildings are found here. Ahead of us at the end of the street are the royal palace and senate building. Behind them is the agora, where people meet to talk, and past that are the palace gardens. Over to the left you can see the Hall of Heroes, where we honor those who have died in defense of our people."

"Wow, this is all so amazing," Rose marveled, fussing with the folds of her outfit. "Remus is a big history buff — it's a pity men aren't allowed on this island, because he'd love to see all this."

"He seemed to be quite engaged in discussions with our healers when we left him on the Island of Healing. I doubt he'll be bored."

"Why does everyone keep staring at us?" Rose asked. "It's something I had to get used to when I was introduced to the wizarding world, but I figured I'd left that behind in Britain."

"You are a stranger, and visitors are almost completely unheard of," Diana explained. "There's also the fact that I was sent as an emissary to Patriarch's World. I'm sure many are wondering why I'm back so soon."

"Yeah, I guess," Rose said, absently tugging on the fabric at her shoulder.

"Is there something wrong with your robe? I thought it fit fine when I put it on you."

Rose felt her face grow warm. "It fits, I guess. It's hard to tell the way it sorta... drapes all over. But... it's weird, wearing what feels like a sheet and nothing else. And on top of that, there's bugger all holding it up! It feels like it's going to fall off at any second, leaving me exposed to the world — I know it!"

Diana laughed. "This is traditional for us, just as it was for the Greeks. When I first entered Patriarch's World, I found it difficult to get used to wearing the clothing you grew up with. I still find it terribly constricting — and don't even get me started on the bras your women wear! A simple robe is so much more comfortable and freeing. And I can assure you that it will stay on," — she reached out to pull away one of Rose's hands, which was plucking at her robe yet again — "provided, of course, that you don't undo one of the important folds holding it together. Then it _will_ fall off."

"I suppose," Rose said, not feeling reassured.

"And as for being nude, that's common as well."

"What?!" Rose squawked. "In public?"

"Of course. Like the Greeks, we don't wear anything at all when engaging in gymnastics or other physical pursuits such as exercise, sports, combat training, and the like. Can you imagine how a loose, flowing robe like this would get in the way? It would be more of a hinderance than anything else."

Rose blushed hard. "But still... _naked?_ Nothing at all?"

"Depending on the activity, we'll sometimes apply oil on our bodies, but that's it," Diana said with a shrug.

Rose's mouth went dry imagining such a scene. "Do you think... I mean, will I have to... you know?" It was hard enough being naked next to a jaw-droppingly gorgeous woman like Diana when they were alone — she wasn't sure she could cope with being completely _surrounded_ by such women. And covered with oil?!

Diana laughed again. "No, I don't think so. You aren't one of us and can't be expected to adhere to all our customs."

"Good. Like I said, I already feel exposed. I'm not sure I could handle people seeing even more of me." Reflexively she tried to adjust the robe again but then forced herself to stop. "I'm really not—" Suddenly she halted in mid-stride, taking a step back to peer down a side street.

"What's wrong?"

Rose blinked hard a few times, then looked again. After a moment, she shook her head. "Nothing, nothing." _There's_ _ **no way**_ _I'm going to tell her I saw someone riding a giant kangaroo. I clearly need more sleep._

Diana laid an arm around her shoulders and guided her in the right direction again, expertly twitching the folds of Rose's robes back into place as she returned to the topic at hand. "In your society it would be scandalous to go without clothing in public, but this isn't Patriarch's World. No one will think twice about it here. They won't be offended or scandalized. There's not a single woman on this island who will look down on you because of how you dress. If you feel embarrassed or insecure, it's because you've internalized the ignorant criticisms of men whose opinions don't even matter — and certainly not here. Trust me, underneath these robes we may all be different, but we're all the same, too."

Rose grew thoughtful as she considered Diana's words, and as a consequence missed quite a bit of the end of their walk. She only came back to the present when she found they were mounting the steps of the largest, grandest building she'd yet seen.

"You don't live _here_ , do you?"

"Oh, no, this is our senate building. We're passing through because the agora is on the other side, and that's where we'll be meeting my mother."

"Agora?" Rose asked. "You mentioned it before."

"It's a popular meeting place for the public, like a public square. Every Greek city had one, and it's where philosophers, soldiers, government officials, and anyone else could debate the issues, get to know each other, that sort of thing."

Rose nodded distractedly as she gazed around her, fascinated by the seamless juxtaposition of nature and architecture, even inside the building.

Once they stepped out into the light again, Diana paused and gestured across the courtyard to where an older, regal-looking woman was sitting. "That's my mother." She was surrounded by several other Amazons who were all debating something. The older woman wasn't saying much, but the others deferred to her, from what Rose could tell.

Rose hadn't even met her yet, and already she felt intimidated. "Maybe I should wait here? Or, you know, maybe go back?"

Diana raised one eyebrow. "Rose?"

The young witch shook her head. "I still can't believe you talked me into this." The past couple of weeks had felt like a dream to her. Maybe it was because they had been in Vegas, where nothing was real; maybe it was because they spent so much time focused on each other. Whatever the reason, after they'd landed on Themyscira, the whole situation acquired a new level of reality. Once she walked down the steps into the agora to meet Diana's mother, there'd be no turning back.

Everything would change, and she wasn't sure how she'd handle it.

"It won't be that bad — you'll see," Diana insisted as she put an arm around Rose's shoulder and guided her through the crowd. Conversations all over the agora petered out as they walked through, until the place had fallen completely silent by the time they reached the older woman.

Rose watched as Diana took a deep breath and said simply, "Mother," her back so straight that she was almost standing at attention.

The woman arched one eyebrow before standing as well, dismissing the others with a gesture. It occurred to Rose that Diana had never said what her mother did for a living; whatever it was, she seemed to command a lot of respect, which only served to make Rose more nervous about this meeting.

"Diana," the woman responded, "I wasn't sure if the report of your return was true or not. It was said that you even brought a man with you." She looked over at Rose for a moment before continuing, "But at least you had the good sense to leave _him_ on the Island of Healing."

Diana ignored the implied criticism and instead indicated Rose. "Hippolyta, allow me to introduce you to Rose Potter-Black." She turned to the girl and said, "Rose, this is my mother, Qu—"

"Yes, yes," Hippolyta interrupted, causing Rose to frown. Diana had told her to be polite and respectful, but she wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a chilly reception. So she fell back on what she knew.

Taking a step forward, she stuck out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rose's hand was left hanging as Hippolyta regarded her as if she were a vaguely interesting bug. After an excruciatingly awkward silence, Rose swallowed hard and let her hand drop, stepping back again as she stared down at her feet.

"Mother!" Diana exclaimed.

"I've heard about what happened to you. How the others treated you," Hippolyta said, dismissing her daughter's complaint with a wave of her hand. "You've put your mission in jeopardy. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Now it was Diana's turn to swallow hard, and Rose thought she looked particularly vulnerable under her mother's withering gaze. Abruptly her own embarrassment turned to anger. Straightening a bit, she stepped forward and to the side, enough to partially shield Diana from the dragon in front of her. Hippolyta glared, but this time Rose met her eyes steadily.

After another long, uncomfortable moment, Hippolyta arched an eyebrow again. "Diana," she finally said, her tone a bit softer now, "I would speak with you in private."

"Yes, Mother." Turning to Rose, she said, "Stay here — this shouldn't take long."

"Are you sure?" Rose asked, not at all confident about how things were going. "You don't have to do this alone, you know." Neither saw one corner of Hippolyta's mouth twitch in what was almost amusement.

"Actually, I do. But I'll be fine."

"OK, but if you take too long, I'll come find you."

Diana smiled for the first time since they'd entered the agora. "I'm sure you will. We'll be over that way, in the gardens where it's more private."

Once Rose was alone, she heaved a quiet sigh of relief. _So... yeah. That's my mother-in-law._

In the absence of anything better to do, she decided to have a look around the agora. She wandered down two lines of large statues — all women, of course. She wasn't sure if they were Amazons or goddesses, but she suspected the latter. Along one side of the square she lingered at several open workshops where women were working on pottery, clothing, and other crafts. At the far end were several—

Rose stopped cold. Those _definitely_ looked like giant kangaroos, and those were _definitely_ women riding them. _Maybe Luna would know what they are?_

She turned around to ask someone about them and found that everyone was watching her. Weird animals forgotten, she felt like she was in first year again, or on her first trip to Diagon Alley. _Figures,_ she thought sourly. _I come halfway around the world and_ _ **still**_ _I get stared at._

After a long moment of tense silence, a group of bystanders approached, most wearing decidedly unfriendly expressions. "So, you're the outsider Diana brought to our island?" one asked.

"Yes, we arrived in her jet this morning. My name is Rose. And you are...?"

"Do you intend to stay?" challenged another. "Are you trying to become an Amazon?"

"No," Rose said with a frown. "We should only be here a day or two, then we have to fly to Britain."

"What is your relationship with Diana?" demanded a third, this one dressed in a leather apron rather than a white robe.

"She's, uh... she's my wife," Rose said hesitantly, not sure if she was supposed to reveal that bit of information. Diana hadn't said one way or the other, but she didn't want to lie. Diana was probably already telling her mother about the marriage, so the information would be getting out sooner or later anyway. The murmuring in the crowd ratcheted up several notches, as did the hostility that seemed to radiate off them.

" _Excuse_ me?" the leather-clad Amazon asked in disbelief as she pushed forward through the group. Close up, she could see that the woman carried a hammer about as big as Rose's head and had smudges of soot on her arms. "You claim to be _married_ to her?"

"Yes, we got married a couple of weeks ago."

"A marriage in Patriarch's World, then," another observed. The derision in her voice was unmistakable, and several others chuckled.

"Well, yeah," Rose said, causing a renewed wave of murmuring that spread from the group out across the agora. _Sure, it was a rushed Vegas wedding. Performed by an Elvis impersonator. And we were blind drunk. But still..._

"Yet you claim this marriage to be valid?" the leather-clad Amazon continued, speaking more loudly now and with even more hostility. "You claim Diana to be your own and that you are hers? You claim to share her hearth and her bed, forever more?"

"Uh, yes?" Rose replied, taken aback. Granted, she was still acclimating to her marriage, but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to give it a go. And she wasn't thrilled with the tone of the Amazon's questions.

"Then prepare to defend your claims," the Amazon growled, hefting her massive hammer. She stepped back and took up a fighting stance as a circle of women formed around them.

"Uh-oh..." Rose breathed. As first impressions went, she didn't think she was doing too well.

* * *

"How are you handling things?" Hippolyta asked as they strolled through the gardens.

"Better than I would have expected," Diana said, knowing that her mother was referring to the fallout from Maxwell Lord. "It was a terrible shock at first, but I'm coming to terms with it." With a private smile, she mentally added, _I've had help, too_.

"Indeed," Hippolyta drawled. "Assuming the reports we received were accurate, I support the decision you made. We all do, in fact. Killing is never an easy thing and should never be done lightly, but when the options are killing the guilty or allowing them to murder innocents, the choice is obvious."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course! Why would you doubt it?"

"I... in the moment, I didn't doubt my decision. But afterwards... after being confronted and then rejected by my friends, I've questioned myself so many times. I tell myself that it was the right decision, but there are moments when I wonder if there was another choice, another path I could have taken."

"Listen to me," Hippolyta said, stopping and taking Diana by her shoulders. "You couldn't have acted otherwise in that moment while retaining your integrity. You saved your friends and who knows how many innocent lives in the future. No one has any right to condemn you for that."

"Thank you, Mother. I was afraid that you'd be disappointed in me. Unfortunately, my friends don't see things the way you do. I'm not sure they will ever accept my decision. There's even been talk about having me prosecuted for murder, and I'm not sure how that would turn out."

Hippolyta sniffed. "If they don't accept your decision, then they were never truly your friends."

"Perhaps," Diana replied, her shoulders sagging a bit. "But after all we've been through together, their rejection hurts more than I would have imagined."

Hippolyta gave her daughter's shoulders a light squeeze before letting go and resuming their walk. "It's a sign of how much Patriarch's World has to learn from us, I suppose." She sighed. "When I first heard that you had returned, I allowed myself to imagine that you'd come back to stay — we all miss you so much. I take it that's not the case, though?"

"No. Although it's clear that my mission to Patriarch's World can't go on as it has, I do intend to continue it — just in a new context and with new people."

"People, or a particular person? I got the impression from that girl that she isn't some stray passenger you're giving a ride to."

"No, she's much more than that," Diana confirmed, smiling broadly now. At Hippolyta's questioning look, she said, "She's my wife. We married two weeks ago."

The older woman stumbled in shock, then dropped on a nearby bench as she regarded her daughter with wide eyes. "Tell me this is an ill-considered joke." Diana shook her head. "Married? You two? But... how? Why?"

Diana steeled herself. She hadn't been looking forward to this conversation, given how the story painted her in an extremely unflattering light. She was supposed to be a teacher and ambassador, not a drunken adolescent. She was held to a higher standard, and she'd fallen far, far short — something she'd resolved to correct about herself. Hesitantly, she related how she'd tried to drown her sorrows, met an intriguing woman who made her smile again, then woke up married to that woman. All without being able to remember much of the night, and nothing of the ceremony itself.

"Sweet Aphrodite, Diana, what were you _thinking?_ Of all the...! I don't which is more outrageous: that you did such a thing, or that Patriarch's World allows such things to happen in the first place. Marriage is too serious to treat so frivolously! There are reasons why we form long-term, intimate relationships before we even _consider_ marriage. There are reasons why our courtship ritual takes so long and is so difficult!" Hippolyta sat and fumed for a bit before asking, "Does she even know that Amazons mate for life? That once married, there's no going back?"

"No, and I don't intend to tell her — not yet, at any rate. I don't want to pressure her."

"Pressure? Whatever do you mean?"

"For reasons I'd rather not get into, she's rather insecure. Although she doesn't know much about me or our ways yet, she still feels unworthy of me. Telling her that even if we got a legal divorce in Patriarch's World, I would forever consider myself bound to her, forsaking any others, would make things harder on her. She needs to build her confidence first."

"And what do _you_ think, my daughter?" Hippolyta asked. "Do _you_ consider her worthy? And how do you even feel about her? Surely you couldn't have fallen in love with her — not someone so young, and not so quickly.

"She may be young, but the stories she's told me of her life demonstrate that she's already a more accomplished warrior than most Amazons many times her age."

"How old is she?"

"She just turned sixteen."

Hippolyta sighed. "So young..."

"She's only a little younger than I was when I left home to begin my mission."

"Like I said, so very young," Hippolyta repeated with a shake of her head.

"Are you saying that I was too young? That I wasn't ready for my mission?" Diana asked, stiffening.

"Diana, you're my daughter," the older woman said reasonably. "If you had waited until you were sixty or even six hundred to enter Patriarch's World, you still would have been too young as far as I'm concerned." Her smile was self-deprecating, and Diana's posture relaxed again. "Still, as my daughter you'd been trained all your life. You knew how to fight and how to lead. You were already twice as mature and capable as any man twice your age, and that's not taking into account the gifts you received from the gods when I created you." She reached out and pulled Diana down next to her, holding one hand in both of hers. "What about Rose, though? I have trouble imagining how any girl raised in Patriarch's World would be as mature and capable."

Diana smiled. "I did say she is an accomplished warrior."

"Indeed you did. Do tell. I would hear the tales of my new daughter-in-law's valiant deeds."

Diana enjoyed describing how brave, heroic, and selfless her new wife was. It wasn't bragging — she had no need for that — but she did tell the highlights of Rose's life as if she were one of the great heroines of legend, a warrior sent by the gods to vanquish terrible evils. She described the quest for the Philosopher's Stone and the battles with both a basilisk and a dragon, told of the fights against soul-sucking demons and merpeople, then finally explained the dark ritual she'd been forced to endure and the terrible fate she was prophesied to have.

Though she indulged in a little epic embroidery, she did force herself to keep the details to a minimum — time was short, and Rose was waiting. As it was, even the abbreviated version was impressive.

"Oh, my," was all Hippolyta could manage at first as she gazed thoughtfully into the distance. "I suppose I should have been a bit more polite to her."

It was Diana's turn to arch one eyebrow, as if to say, "You think?"

"Yes, yes, I'll apologize," Hippolyta said as she pondered what she'd just learned. "Magic, then? That's unexpected. I wonder..."

"Mother?"

"Are you certain that Rose is the subject of a prophecy? A genuine prophecy?"

Diana blinked at the sudden shift. "She believes it's genuine. So does everyone else in her society, including this dark lord who keeps trying to kill her."

Hippolyta sighed. "Then I suppose it doesn't matter if it started out genuine or not. It's been made genuine by people's beliefs. I can understand your desire to not add to the pressure on her."

"No one has taken the time to train her on how to handle that sort of thing," Diana said. "She is capable, and she has power, but no one has shown her how to properly exercise her power. Nor has anyone taught her how to handle the responsibilities that come with power."

"That's dangerous," Hippolyta said, frowning.

"Very — for her as well as those around her."

"I couldn't help but notice how Rose was alone at the end of all those tales — not fighting side-by-side with her sisters, or even with males, but alone."

"Oh, it's worse than that," Diana said. "The rest of her community knows about this prophecy as well. Instead of supporting her or even joining her, they complain that she isn't rushing out to vanquish this dark lord."

Hippolyta shook her head. "So typical of Patriarch's World: piling expectations and responsibilities on a single individual's shoulders instead of working together like we do." She gave Diana a pointed look. "You clearly still have much to teach them."

"I know," Diana replied with a sigh.

"And of course the prophecy makes matters worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Because while the others may be misguided in expecting her to do everything, Rose is still the subject of the prophecy — not them and not you." Hippolyta looked at her daughter gravely. "You will of course need to do everything in your power to help her prepare, but in the end you may have to stand by and watch her fight."

"I may have to watch her fight," Diana said, "but she will never be alone."

"Of course not," Hippolyta said matter-of-factly. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you, nor of any of other Amazon. We are a sisterhood and we always stand together. It's why we are stronger than those unfortunates who live in Patriarch's World. Still, you'll need to think carefully about this. Prophecies are often unkind to those involved." A moment later, Hippolyta's gaze sharpened. "And don't think I didn't notice that you avoided answering my earlier question: how do you _feel?"_

Diana looked away, then sighed. "That's not an easy question to answer. Even though I can't remember the ceremony, I know that I wouldn't have agreed to it without feeling something for her, even if we hadn't known each other for long. I'm not _that_ irresponsible. And I remember enough of that first night together that I did feel a strong attraction to her. I still do. I want to pursue a relationship with her, though I wouldn't be able to explain why, exactly. There's something about her that draws me in."

"Love usually isn't logical or rational, my dear."

Diana looked up again into her mother's eyes. "But is it love? How can it be? I know it's more than lust, but..."

"Maybe it's not quite love, but I think it's the beginnings of love," Hippolyta said. "It will depend on you whether it grows into the real thing. You'll need to foster the trust and respect that's essential to any lasting relationship." Diana nodded slowly, lost in thought.

Eventually her mother stood and pulled Diana up with her so they could resume their stroll. "You look happy," the older woman observed. "Happier than I've seen you in a long, long time."

Diana grinned broadly. "I am, actually. Rose makes me happy."

"And you're certain?" Diana gave her mother a quizzical look. "Are you certain that she's making you happy, and that you aren't simply happy to have a legitimate way to escape your recent problems?"

Diana looked away and frowned. _That couldn't be true, could it?_

"I'm not accusing you, daughter, I just—"

"No, you're right," Diana interrupted. "I hadn't considered that. Perhaps I do want a way to escape, and this allows me to do that without abandoning my mission." Diana turned back to look her mother in the eye. "But I am genuinely happy when I'm with her. We're very different, but she has a strength of character that I respect, and a deep, almost boundless ability to love that I find incredibly attractive." She paused before adding, "And despite what she says about herself, she's also quite beautiful — and she'll only grow more so over the years."

Hippolyta squeezed her daughter's hand. "As long as you focus on the positive, you shouldn't doubt that what you two have can grow into real love."

"Maybe you're right. I need to convince her of that, too — she's even more confused about marriage than I am."

"What do you intend to do?"

"I was thinking of initiating the courtship ritual with her."

Hippolyta nodded. "That's a good idea. If, as you say, she needs to build confidence, both in herself and in your relationship, that will help. It will also provide more opportunities to teach her our history and culture, not to mention how to bear the responsibilities that come with power."

"She does have a lot to learn. She spent the entire walk to the agora tugging on her robe, convinced that it would fall off and blow away, leaving her naked and exposed."

"How on earth will she handle our fitness and combat training?"

"Baby steps, Mother — baby steps. If I can't be by her side at the end, I can at least ensure that she's trained well." Diana looked around, noticing how much time had passed. "We should get back before Rose comes searching for me."

"Considering the look she gave me before we left, I'm surprised she hasn't already," Hippolyta said with a laugh, and Diana joined her.

They weren't laughing when they saw what was happening in the agora.


	4. Skin in the Game

**A/N:** There's a bit near the end that's adapted from Wonder Woman Volume 3, issue #18 (#573). In the same scene, you'll also find elements from William Marston's original conception of Wonder Woman and Amazon culture. I'm not going to go into detail about them here — you can find plenty if you read up on him — but those elements disappeared not long after he died and responsibility for writing the character was turned over to others. You won't see these elements appear very often in my story, but my intention is to make use of them in a way that makes sense.

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices.

 **Recommendation:** _The Art of Self-Fashioning_ , by Lomonaaeren. Neville is the Boy Who Lived, but Harry is still taken in by the Dursleys after his parents are tortured into insanity. Harry is treated badly enough that he learns not to trust anyone, which means he doesn't share with anyone his ultimate goal: to heal his parents, no matter what the cost.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 04 - Skin in the Game**

 **Friday, August 16, 1996. Themyscira, Location: Hidden.**

"Whaddya mean, I have to fight?" Rose asked, too shocked to resist the blonde Amazon who dragged her to the far side of the circle from where the leather-clad Amazon stood with her friends. _And here I thought that only witches and wizards would force me into a fight I didn't want..._

"You claimed Diana for your own, and now you're being challenged," the Amazon said. "My name is Mala, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"She can do that?" Rose asked.

"Io has long had feelings for Diana. She seems to have taken offense," Mala explained. "It's only because your marriage took place in Patriarch's World that she can do this, though. Such things are usually honored here on Themyscira, but they are open to a single challenge, if anyone believes that honoring them would be contrary to Amazon values or traditions."

"What if I refuse to fight? Can I just walk away?"

"That would be the worst thing you could do!" Mala hissed. "Such cowardice would cause both you and Diana to lose face!"

"And if I lose?"

"If you lose the fight, you lose the challenge, and no Amazon will honor your marriage as valid."

"Not even Diana? She'd walk away from me?" Rose asked, paling a little. As uncertain as she was about being married, being rejected again like that would hurt. A lot.

"If you're still alive, yes," Mala said, causing Rose to swallow hard. "Granted, there isn't a lot of precedent for this sort of thing, but I don't think Io will hold back."

Rose looked across the circle of women and caught her opponent's eye. She was _angry_. No, she was _furious_. There wasn't the slightest bit of mercy in those eyes. It didn't help that Io looked even larger and stronger than Diana and the other Amazons. Rose already felt tiny, only coming up to about chest high to most of them, but Io was yet a head taller still.

"How am I supposed to fight her?" Rose asked. _This might not be so much of a problem if I could use magic,_ _but if this is occurring because of Amazon traditions, then I have to fight their way, using what Diana's been teaching me. Right? Now I wish we'd spent more time sparring and less time doing... other things._

"You can use my weapons, for one thing," Mala said, shoving a helmet down on Rose's head before handing her a sword and shield. The sword looked almost as big as she was.

Rose staggered briefly and immediately yanked the helmet off again, ignoring the laughter coming from all around.

"I can't even breathe in that thing, never mind see!" she complained.

Mala rolled her eyes in exasperation. "More listening, less whining! Your biggest advantages will be that Io isn't used to handling a shield, and that a hammer is a pretty awkward weapon, so you can take advantage of that."

Rose stared at the massive hammer again. "That hammer looks pretty useful to me. Why does she have it if it's a bad weapon?"

"She's our blacksmith and makes our weapons — that's why she always has a hammer."

"So, she's not a warrior?" Rose asked. "That doesn't sound so bad."

Mala shook her head vehemently. "No, it's worse. Io spends several hours a day, every day, swinging that hammer through the air and beating metal into weapons and armor. Right now, she's looking at you like you're an especially annoying imperfection in a masterpiece she wants to create — an imperfection she intends to beat out of existence."

Rose gulped loud enough for Mala to hear her over the buzz of the excited Amazons. It seemed as though the already-large crowd had grown even bigger over just the past few minutes.

"But like I said, it's awkward as a weapon. She's likely to overextend herself, and her overconfidence will make that much worse. Watch for poor positioning on her shield, too. That will give you openings you can use. Also, if you survive, you're less likely to have scars as you would if she were using a blade."

"Wait, wait — scars? And what counts as 'poor positioning' for a shield?" Diana had shown her a few things about the Amazonian style of fighting over the previous weeks, but nothing like this!

Mala looked flabbergasted. "What do you mean? Don't you know how to fight with a sword and shield?"

"Not a clue!"

"Great Hera," Mala muttered as she turned Rose to face in Io's direction. "Just keep your shield up, don't let her get too close, and swing at any opening you see. Maybe you'll get lucky."

"Right — sounds easy," Rose said, trying to put a good face on it. Neither of them was convinced.

"Here, let me take this," Mala said next, starting to tug at her robe.

"What? Hey!" Rose exclaimed, turning back to face the blonde. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You can't fight in that!" Mala insisted. "Mala at least is wearing her leather apron, and that won't get in her way."

"Well, I'm not fighting stark naked! Give me armor or something."

"Io isn't wearing armor, so you can't," Mala retorted. "It would be unfair. Unfortunately, I don't have leather to offer you."

"Are you ready, girl?" Io called out above the din, "or will you admit you're unworthy and give up your claim to Diana now, before you get hurt? It's not as if you have any chance at winning."

Rose took a deep breath before finally turning around to face her opponent. Her eyes scanned the crowd of boisterous women. _Diana's not here_ , she realized as her gut tightened even more. _No surprise that I'm alone, but still... it would have been nice..._

"Well?" Io called out again.

Rose closed her eyes and took another calming breath. _If this is it, I'll at least make the best of it._

After adjusting her grip on her shield, she held out her sword and stepped forward to the center of the circle. "Let's do this."

* * *

"What in Hera's name is going on here?" Hippolyta demanded as she and Diana approached the throng of Amazons that had gathered in the center of the agora. "Move aside, let me through." The crowd was dense, but everyone moved quickly when they heard Hippolyta's voice. She and Diana reached the edge of the circle just in time to see Rose standing there in the center, saying, "Let's do this."

Neither had a chance to react before Io charged, missing Rose by mere inches when the much smaller girl rolled to the side, just as Diana had trained her to do over the previous weeks. It was a smart move, but it wasn't executed very gracefully because Rose had never had to do it while holding a sword and shield at the same time. As a result, she was slow and ungainly in returning to her feet, giving Io plenty of time to turn around and swing again.

Rose just barely had time to raise her shield, and the strength of the hammer's blow forced her to her knees. She moved in time to avoid a second strike, but it was clear to everyone watching that she now had difficulty lifting her shield.

"What's the matter? Are those weapons feeling heavy, little girl?" Io taunted.

By this point Mala, having seen Hippolyta and Diana arrive, had managed to work her way around to them. "What is this?" Diana asked, struggling to go to Rose even as her mother held her fast.

"Io challenged her right to claim you in marriage," Mala answered.

"What?!"

"Because it was enacted in Patriarch's World?" Hippolyta asked, and Mala nodded. "You can do nothing, my daughter," Hippolyta said in a commanding tone, squeezing Diana's arm even tighter now. "Every Amazon has the right to challenge a contract made in Patriarch's World. If you had married here, you'd have been safe, but now Rose must fight for you both."

"But she hasn't been trained!" Diana hissed as Rose barely dodged another blow from Io's hammer. "I've only just started showing her how we fight! Where did she even get those weapons?"

"I let her use mine," Mala said ruefully. "By the time I realized that she didn't know how to use them, it was too late to suggest something else."

Diana looked outraged. "So she doesn't even know that she has alternatives?"

"Keep running, little girl!" Io shouted.

"I don't know what Io thinks she's doing," Hippolyta growled. "It's obvious that the girl knows nothing about our ways."

"I don't think Io cares," Mala observed. "She was extremely unhappy when you left, Diana, and seemed incensed when you returned with another. Hearing about the marriage sent her right over the edge."

"Mother, isn't there anything—"

"No, Diana, I am as bound to our laws as you or anyone else," Hippolyta responded as Rose took a wild swing with her sword, overbalancing herself enough for Io to trip her. Everyone laughed as the much smaller girl struggled to her feet, only for Io to kick her, forcing her back into the dirt. "As much as it pains me to see my new daughter-in-law like this, neither of us can interfere now that it's started."

Rose's once-pristine robe was ripped in so many places that it was barely staying on, but she didn't seem to notice as she got to her feet and turned to face her laughing opponent again.

"Had enough yet, girl?" Io asked mockingly. "Admit that you're unworthy and just stay down!" Rose didn't rise to the bait, though. Despite the obvious difficulty, she lifted her shield to her shoulder, turned sideways to present a smaller target, and held her sword in a ready position while slowly circling around the much larger warrior.

Io grunted in a tiny measure of approval. "It looks like you can learn, child. Unfortunately your education has come far too late!" She hadn't even finished her last word before she swung her hammer in a wide arc, leaving her open enough for Rose to step to the side and jab with her sword. It would have been a good hit had Io not been moving, or if Rose had followed through with a bit more aggression; as it was, it only nicked her exposed side.

It was enough, however, to make Io scream in rage as she swung again. Once more Rose tried to jab, but Io was expecting it this time and spun on one foot, putting her to Rose's side, where she was able to slam her shield into the back of the girl's head. Rose staggered once more and fell heavily to the ground in front of Diana and Hippolyta, tearing her robe even more as it slipped down and caught under her feet.

Diana keened softly as Io turned her back on Rose and lifted her arms in triumph, as if beating the smaller girl were a great victory. Despite the din of the shouting and cheering Amazons, Rose seemed to hear Diana. She blinked hard as she looked up at the faces above her, and after a moment she finally recognized Diana's desperate presence.

"I'm sorry," Rose tried to say, breathing hard as she pushed up to her hands and knees, but Diana shushed her as she knelt down in front of her.

"You can do this," Diana insisted. "You can. I have faith in you."

Rose shook her head wearily. "I can't. She's too... she's too much for me."

"You're wrong," Diana said. "The basilisk wasn't too much for you. The troll wasn't too much for you. A hundred dementors weren't too much for you. How can Io be a greater opponent than they?"

"But—"

"Will you yield?" Io called out. "Will you admit defeat and relinquish your claims?"

Rose looked down at the ground. Blood and tears dripped from her face and mixed with the earth.

Diana spoke again, more softly this time, but her voice still carried above the noise of the crowd. "I will stay with you, no matter what." Rose looked up again, surprised. "I won't abandon you. But you must remember that you have power, and no one else has power over you unless you allow it."

Rose blinked a few times, then took a deep breath as she pushed herself to her feet. She swayed unsteadily as she turned back around to face Io again. She ignored her many scrapes and bleeding cuts as she evaluated the smug, strutting Amazon.

The noise of the crowd dropped abruptly when Rose threw the shield to one side and the sword to the other, followed by pulling away the few scraps of cloth that still hung to her body.

"Is this your way of surrendering?" Io demanded.

"No," Rose said as her eyes started to glow slightly. She ejected her wand from the disillusioned holster on her wrist, a birthday gift from Moony that he'd picked up in Salem when they passed through. "I've just decided that I'm going to fight my way, not yours."

"And what do you think you can do with your little stick?"

 _"Expelliarmus!"_

Io's eyes widened at the oncoming bolt of magic. With a jerk, she moved her shield into the spell's path and it splashed against metal, pushing her backwards. Surprisingly, she managed to keep ahold of both it and her hammer.

 _"Reducto!"_ Rose incanted at the ground in front of Io, kicking up a cloud of dust and rock that both blinded and hurt the Amazon. _"Avis!"_ she snapped. _"Oppugno!"_

Over a dozen small, yellow birds appeared out of nowhere to attack Io's face and head from all sides. Rose seemed to know that her only chance was to keep away from Io and defeat her at a distance. If the Amazon managed to get close enough to use her hammer again, Rose wouldn't survive, especially without a shield to block the blow.

By this point the crowd had fallen silent in shock at what they were seeing. They were all acquainted with magic, but they'd never witnessed anything like the spellcasting Rose was doing and never would have expected such magic after seeing her poor showing so far. Diana was the only one there who had seen Rose perform magic before, and even she was impressed enough to start feeling hopeful.

 _"Petrificus Totalus!"_ Rose cried. Despite being half-blinded by dust, rocks, and birds, Io managed to turn aside the spell with her shield, sending it into the onlookers where one of the Amazons toppled over, petrified. _"Tarantallegra!"_ Rose tried next, aiming for the woman's legs, but she jumped sideways and the spell hit yet another Amazon in the crowd, causing her to start dancing around uncontrollably.

 _"Flipendo! Furnunculus! Rictusempra! Eat Slugs!"_

Every spell was deflected by Io's shield into the crowd, no matter where Rose aimed, and by the time Rose had run through her most effective yet least harmful spells, Io had eliminated the birds and could see again.

"Time to end this!" the Amazon cried as she charged forward.

 _"_ _ **Confringo!**_ _"_ Rose shouted almost instinctively.

Once again, Rose aimed her spell at the ground in frot of Io. When the blasting curse struck, it exploded with so much force that the Amazon was sent soaring backwards through the air, crashing heavily into the spectators as they scrambled to get out of the way.

"Healer!" someone called a moment later. "We need a healer here!"

Diana ignored the ensuing tumult and ran to the dangerously swaying Rose, catching her before she could drop to her knees. "Stay up," Diana said urgently. "Don't fall. You mustn't fall. It's not truly a victory until you walk out of the circle."

"Tired," Rose muttered as Diana pulled her bruised and bleeding body close. "Head hurts."

"I know you're tired, but I promise I'll take care of you once we finished here," Diana assured her. "First you need to prove that you can walk away."

"Can do that," Rose mumbled, then tried to turn and stumble in a random direction. Diana kept hold of her arm, guiding her and ensuring that she stayed upright.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I'm very proud of you."

"Kicked 'er ass," Rose said, slurring her words through a grin, and Diana couldn't help but grin back. "I tried to do it your way, Diana, I really did," Rose went on, sounding exhausted. "I just... I just couldn't do it. I'm sorry. But I knew I had a chance if I did it my way. And I did it. I hope... I hope I didn't hurt her."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," said Hippolyta, who greeted them at the edge of the circle. After draping her own voluminous purple cloak over Rose's shoulders, she loudly announced, "Now you have shown that you are also strong enough to walk away after a fight you have won. Victory is truly yours."

"Oh... goody," Rose replied as she started to topple over. Diana eased her gently to the ground as Hippolyta ordered her guards to disperse the crowd.

"She's such a tiny little thing," Hippolyta commented softly, but not so softly that she wasn't heard.

"Great things come in small packages," Rose mumbled, causing Diana and Hippolyta to both smile.

"Yes, and she has a large heart," Mala observed.

"Thank you for lending her your weapons," Diana said. "I'm not sure anyone else would have done that."

"It was my pleasure," Mala responded, leaning over and kissing Diana near the corner of her mouth. "I'm happy for you," she added in a whisper. "Both of you."

"I didn't break the rules, did I?" Rose asked, swaying a bit as she sat.

Diana looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Using magic, instead of the sword. I just... there was no way I could compete otherwise."

"No, that didn't break any rules," Diana reassured her. "Armor or a weapon that Io didn't possess would have been unfair, but you can't be denied use of natural abilities that are always with you. In fact, it shows wisdom that you decided to change the nature of the fight instead of trying to beat her at her own game."

"It was Io's fault for challenging someone she didn't know anything about," Hippolyta added. "She underestimated you, and so paid the price for her rashness once you revealed the truth about yourself." The queen's expression and voice turned wistful as she continued, "It's been a long time since I've seen magic like that. It's said that there are no coincidences..."

"This wasn't your first time seeing such magic?" Diana asked, shocked, and Hippolyta shook her head. "Where did you encounter it before?"

The Amazon queen merely smiled and said, "It's a thrilling tale, to be sure, but I think it's best if we leave it for another time."

"Excuse me, my Queen," said a guard who had approached them. "We're not sure what to do with these women. They were all hit by the girl's magic." She gestured over towards where several Amazons were gathered together. None of them looked happy, though the one spitting out massive slugs seemed to be in the most distress. The fact that a friend was on the ground next to her, unable to control her laughter, surely wasn't helping.

"I'll take care of it," Rose said, looking toward Diana. "Just... help me get there?"

"As far as you need," Diana said warmly as she lifted the girl to her feet and put a steadying arm around her. "As far as you need."

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't tell me your mum is the Queen!" Rose whinged as a healer worked on her various cuts and scrapes. The slight concussion she'd received from Io's shield had already been taken care of.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Diana said with a shrug, not seeing what the problem was. "Besides, I didn't want to appear to be putting on airs, strutting around and talking about how I'm a princess. As an Amazon, I'm a warrior first anyway, and while she is my queen, to me she's also always simply been my mother."

"But still, that's not the sort of thing you just spring on a person. Especially if they've just collapsed in front of said queen."

Diana laughed. "You say that as if you had something to be embarrassed about. I assure you, my mother was quite impressed."

"I keeled over, naked and bleeding, right in front of her!" Rose protested. "Oh, yes, very impressive. For my next great feat, I'll be slipping on banana peels in the throne room! We'll sell tickets! And t-shirts!"

"We were all impressed," the healer interrupted. "Io may not be one of our leading warriors, but she _is_ one of the strongest of us."

"And that was after I told my mother about some of your deeds while at school, too," Diana added.

"You told her about all that?" Rose groaned, covering her face with her hands. "She must think I'm an idiot for getting mixed up in so much trouble."

The healer looked as though she hoped to hear more about Rose's exploits, but Diana didn't elaborate — she knew her mother would pass the stories along over time. The other Amazons would soon learn what her wife was really made of. "Not at all," she insisted. "My mother found all the stories quite interesting and looks forward to getting to know you better."

"Really?" Rose asked, peeking through her fingers.

Diana nodded. "Of course. You're family now, after all."

"Family?" Rose replied thoughtfully, letting her hands drop back into her lap. "That has a nice ring to it..."

"All done," the healer finally said. "The salve will take care of your cuts and bruises over the next couple of days. Just try to avoid any battles for a week or so."

"Thanks," Rose said a little dryly before letting Diana wrap her back up in the complicated robe. "One thing that has me curious," she asked as they walked back to Diana's private chambers. "No one seemed bothered by the fact that we're in a same-sex marriage. That would freak most people out, in my experience."

Diana chuckled. "Rose, you do remember that you're on an island made up entirely of women, don't you? What other sorts of relationships do you think Amazons have here?"

"Oh! I, uh, hadn't thought about it like that." Rose looked around again, paying closer attention to the many women they saw along the way. "I guess this means there aren't any ex-boyfriends I need to worry about, huh?" There was no response, and Rose turned to look at Diana, who wasn't looking at her. "Is there?"

Diana sighed. "I have to confess, there was this one man, once upon a time. He was a pilot, with beautiful blue eyes and golden hair..."

"What — really? When? How?"

Diana held her tragic expression for a moment longer... then suddenly burst out laughing. "Just kidding!" she said cheerfully. "There have never been any men in my life — not like that. Men may be an amusing diversion — in the short term, at least — but when it comes to serious affairs of the heart or bed, they are more trouble than they're worth."

"If you say so," Rose said with a shrug. "Some blokes are alright — not that I'd want to date any of them." She paused for a moment, looking at Diana out of the corner of her eye. "What about ex-girlfriends?" she finally asked. "There won't be any more like Io, will there?"

Diana smiled lightly. "That's a different story. No, there won't be any more like Io, but at the same time..."

Before she could finish, they'd arrived at Diana's chambers, where Hippolyta was awaiting them, clad in her finest regal attire. Rose immediately started stuttering, unsure how to act in front of the woman she now knew was royalty. Finally she tried to curtsey (which didn't work so well with the robe), combined with a bow while saying, "Greetings, uh, your majesty, ma'am."

Diana shook her head and Hippolyta had to force down a smile as she took Rose by her shoulders and pulled her upright. "None of that, now — you're family. You'll need to learn proper etiquette for state affairs, of course, but in private there's no need for such formality."

"Yes, ma'am," Rose said, obviously still having difficulty looking the woman in the eye.

"And call me Hippolyta, at least when we're in private."

"Yes, uh, Hippolyta."

"Good," the queen said, returning to her seat. "Now, before we go any further, I owe you an apology."

"An apology, ma'am? I mean, Hippolyta?"

"Yes, for the way I treated you when you arrived," she clarified. "I was cold, dismissive, and even insulting. I have no real excuse for my behavior, except to say that I was upset over what had happened to my daughter. I also wasn't happy that she'd brought a stranger into our midst before I could talk to her about it all."

"That's OK, I understand. I'm not happy about what happened to her, either."

"Yes, I know," Hippolyta said, smiling. "She told me about that, and I saw for myself how protective you became the instant you saw my ire directed towards her. I'll admit that I can't approve of how the two of you got together — my daughter should have known better than to have gotten caught up in such a situation." She shot a quick scowl towards Diana before returning her gaze to Rose. "However, I must say that I'm impressed with _you_ , the person she's caught up in it with. It seems she managed to choose well... even if she can't remember doing so."

"Uh, thank you, ma—, er, Hippolyta," Rose said, blushing.

"Speaking of which, don't you have something to do, Diana?" Hippolyta continued. "Something to ask, perhaps? I had the necessary arrangements made while you were with the healer." She nodded towards an adjoining room.

A moment later Diana returned with a coconut which she held out to Rose. When Rose accepted it with a puzzled frown, she shifted her hands to cover Rose's.

"We may already be married," Diana said, suddenly oddly nervous, "but I would like us to go through the traditional Amazon courtship ritual. It's my belief — and my mother agrees — that it will help our relationship, just as it serves to strengthen the relationship between two Amazons before they marry. It will also allow me to teach you things you need to know. Will this be acceptable to you?"

Rose met her eyes. "If it's important to you, sure."

Diana let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Married or not, after the fight earlier, she'd have understood if Rose hadn't wanted anything more to do with Amazon customs. She moved her thumbs so she could separate the coconut into two pre-cut halves, one in each of Rose's hands, revealing its contents.

"There are two gifts here to seal our courtship. The first is a nectarine seed on a necklace. This represents the hoped-for bounty of our union. The second is a bracelet made from intertwined thorns and four colored ribbons: red, green, blue, and gold. The gold ribbon represents a prayer asking Athena to bless the relationship, while the rest represent the ways a person must be tested over the course of the courtship. This is to ensure not only that one is worthy, but also that those who would wed can build a relationship that will be strong enough to endure the trials they will face as a couple."

Rose frowned. "Shouldn't I be giving something to you as well?"

"Two Amazons would exchange these symbols," Diana explained, "but since you are not one of us, it would be inappropriate for you to give one to me." She thought Rose looked a bit unhappy at that, but she didn't object further.

"Traditionally," Hippolyta added, "you would wear them at all times, never taking them off under any circumstances, until the two of you agree that you are ready to progress to the next stage and establish a lifelong union with each other. These are symbols of your commitment to developing your relationship."

Diana looked questioningly at Rose, who straightened a bit and said, "I'm ready."

Her mouth gone dry, Diana swallowed and removed the bracelet from the coconut, setting the shell aside. Placing her hand under Rose's, she laid the bracelet across the girl's open palm and intoned:

I give thee Blue for character  
And courage clear to see.  
I give thee Red for bonds of love  
That tie thy heart to me.

I give thee Green for strength of mind,  
Its wisdom shall not dim.  
I give thee Thorns for dangers great  
And threats to life and limb.

Our union thus is forged anew,  
Athena, be our guide.  
Submitting to our love with trust,  
Together, side by side.

Diana lifted the bracelet and kissed it before reciting the ancient words, "That thou shalt know the heart of another," as she attached it around Rose's left wrist. Next she removed the necklace and said, "That thou art full of promise," as she placed it around Rose's neck.

She was about to say something else when Rose's ring started to glow, followed quickly by her bracelet and finally Diana's own ring. The glowing lights grew strong enough that all three women had to look away briefly. Once they'd blinked away the spots in their eyes, they were amazed to discover that not only had Rose's bracelet been transformed into a tattoo, but that the exact same tattoo now appeared on Diana's left wrist as well.

"What? How?" Diana asked, shocked.

"I know not whose magic wrought this: ours, Rose's, or perhaps the gods'," Hippolyta said as she gently caressed Diana's new tattoo. "I've never seen or even heard of such a thing happening among our people, but then again the ways of the gods are mysterious. As to the why..." She looked up into Diana's eyes. "I suspect that the magic — hers, ours, the gods', or perhaps all combined — wish that you be tested, too, not just her. It makes me wonder what sorts of trials the two of you will face."

"Are the tattoos permanent?" Rose asked.

"We traditionally remove parts as we pass tests," Diana said. "So maybe they will fade?"

Hippolyta pulled them both into an embrace. "Whatever happens, I will pray to the godesses that you both make it through your trials safely."

Rose frowned. "Speaking of trials... what was all that before about bondage and submission?"

"That's _bonds,_ " Diana corrected. "Not bondage. Well... not usually, at least." Rose quirked an eyebrow, and Diana sighed. "In Patriarch's World, people submit to one another through fear and violence, empowering a few while weakening the masses. Amazons believe in submitting to love, primarily to love of one another. In this we find strength — the strength of love, common purpose, and civilization."

"It's somewhat paradoxical," Hippolyta conceded, "because submitting requires the courage to make yourself vulnerable. Unless you are willing to lay bare who you truly are and put yourself in the hands of another, a true union isn't possible. Through mutual submission to one another we achieve a complete union of hearts, minds, and bodies, and through such unions we find strength and power."

"So to be strong, you have to be vulnerable, huh?" Rose said dubiously. "I have to say, it hasn't seemed that way to me. I've been vulnerable plenty of times, and 'strong' isn't the word that leaps to mind — more like 'helpless and isolated.'"

"Not anymore," Diana said, smiling gently.

After a moment, Hippolyta leaned back and said, "Enough of that for now. Let us move on to more joyful topics. Rose, how much do you know about my daughter's life?"

"Excuse me?"

"Her childhood. How she grew up. I have so many stories to tell, and you're the first person I've met who doesn't already know them all."

"Mother!" Diana exclaimed, and the queen's laughter rang throughout the chamber.


	5. Wild Cards

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Adas Reborn_ , by Shahismael. An accident during the battle in the Department of Mysteries sends Harry Potter to another galaxy far, far away... just before the start of the Clone Wars. Here Harry develops his skills and abilities while searching for a way to return home. Eventual Harry/Hermione.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 05 - Wild Cards**

 **Saturday, August 24, 1996. London, England.**

"Are you sure this is where we're supposed to meet Tonks?" Diana asked, looking warily at the dilapidated houses and poorly-maintained street. "It's not a safe neighborhood."

Rose nodded uncomfortably. "That's what Remus said. He was very specific, too."

"Maybe we should try calling?" Diana suggested, but before Rose could answer, a beautiful white owl swooped down and circled around them.

"Hedwig!" Rose cried, holding out her arm so the owl could land. "Oh, I missed you so much!"

 _ **Bark!**_

Diana grinned in amusement as the bird alternated between head-butting Rose, scolding her, and biting her ear.

 _ **Prek! Prek!**_

"Ow! I'm sorry I left you behind. No, I wasn't happy about it either. Ow! You wouldn't have liked Vegas anyway — not enough for you to do. And it's _so_ hot!"

 _ **Bark! Prek!**_

Eventually, Hedwig stopped and turned towards Diana, looking her up and down. The feeling of scrutiny was intense. _It reminds me of when Antiope would glare at me during training, making me sweat as I waited for her inevitable criticism of what I was doing wrong._

"Hedwig, this is Diana. We, uh, got married." Hedwig's head whipped around to look at Rose, her already-large eyes growing even larger, then it snapped back to look at Diana again. Despite her long experience with birds of all types, she'd never seen an owl narrow its eyes and scowl. It was unnerving.

"So, you're the famous Hedwig?" she said in greeting, cautiously holding out her own arm. "I must say, Rose's descriptions of your beauty simply do not do you justice." Hedwig blinked as the scowl disappeared, and a moment later she was making her way along Diana's arm to her shoulder. Cautiously, the snowy owl started to nibble on her ear and preen around her hair.

"I guess you pass muster," Rose said. "She's tough to impress."

"Artemis has blessed me with a rapport with all animals," Diana responded, "though owls, being favored by Athena, have always been special for me." Hedwig stopped what she was doing and gazed into Diana's eyes. "The fact that she is unusually intelligent helps, too, I'm sure."

 _ **Preck! Bark!**_

Rose rolled her eyes. "Flattery will get you everywhere with her. That and bacon."

"Spare a quid, guv'nah?" came a raspy voice from beside them. Diana turned to find a withered old woman bent almost double with age eying them strangely.

"No, sorry..."

"Please, guv'nah, ah just need enough fo' a stag."

Rose stiffened. "Stag? Don't you mean a fag?"

"A fag? Whaddya take me fo'?" she huffed indignantly.

Rose squinted, trying to get a closer look at the woman's eyes. "Tonks?"

Suddenly the old crone started cackling. "Ha! You should have seen your face!"

"Not funny," Rose growled.

"You can't be Tonks," Diana objected, but Rose held up her hand.

"Tonks is a metamorphmagus," she explained. "That means she can shift her form to look like other people."

Diana's eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled appreciatively. "Sounds useful! It certainly casts a new light on your comments and offer to Remus back when he told us the story of what happened to him that night."

Tonks gave a gap-toothed grin, then started looking around. "Speaking of which, where is the old wolf?"

Rose shook her head. "He didn't come with us. He decided to stay back... back in the community where Diana grew up." Diana had asked Rose not to tell Tonks or Sirius the full truth, at least not right away. It was important not to spread around knowledge of Themyscira too widely. "We'll explain more once we're all together with Sirius."

"Where is he?" Diana asked. "Surely he doesn't live around here?"

"Nah, we'll have to take the tube, but I'll warn you now that his neighborhood isn't any better than this one," Tonks said as she led them to a nearby Underground station. Rose told Hedwig to fly to headquarters since she herself would end up there sooner or later.

"It's an old bolt hole he set up back during the first war," Tonks continued as they walked. "Rose's father was the only other person who knew about it, and when we checked it out we found that the protective enchantments had held up over the years. Barely. So we decided to use it now while Sirius is playing dead. The locals think I'm living there with my big, protective guard dog."

"A guard dog would be advisable in neighborhoods like this," Diana observed, causing both Tonks and Rose to snicker. "What's so funny?"

The two witches grinned at each other before Rose said cagily, "We'll show you when we get there." Diana cocked an eyebrow but didn't respond.

Half an hour and two transfers later, they arrived at a neighborhood that was, if anything, more rundown than the one they'd met in. They walked ten minutes to an old apartment building, then up three flights of creaky stairs to a dingy hallway where Tonks unlocked the last door on the left.

As soon as Rose entered the dark, poorly-furnished room, she was bowled over by a massive black dog that pinned her to the ground and began licking her face.

"Ick!" she cried. "Get offa me, you hairy beast! Ack! Dog slobber! Ick! Yuck!"

Tonks started laughing again, but Diana simply looked skeptical. "He's large, I'll grant you that, but he doesn't seem all that fearsome. I don't know how much protection he'll be unless you expect him to drown your enemies."

"Padfoot is more dangerous than he looks," Tonks replied as she caught her breath. As if in answer to a command, the large dog backed off of Rose to face Diana. It seemed to grow as its hackles rose, and the temperature dropped as a low, rumbling growl came from its chest. Diana took an involuntary step back and her hands came up in a defensive position.

"Ugh, you know I hate that, you mangy mutt!" Rose complained as she sat up, wiping slobber from her face with both sleeves. She then gave the dog a shove when she realized what was going on. "And stop trying to intimidate my wife. She can kick your ass with one hand tied behind her back, no matter what form you're in."

"Stop playing around and introduce yourself properly," Tonks said as she shifted back to her normal form. Diana's attention was immediately drawn to watch that process, but she forced it back to the dog when she realized that it was also shifting. In its place stood an unkempt, disheveled-looking Sirius Black.

"Wha—?" the Amazon sputtered.

"Sorry, but I couldn't resist," Sirius said with a grin as he held out his hand. "I'm Sirius Black, obviously, and I'm pleased to meet you. In person, that is."

Diana numbly took Sirius's hand and didn't even complain when he bowed to kiss her knuckles. "Are you a metamorphmagus, too?" she asked.

Sirius laughed. "No, that ability is exceedingly rare — Tonks here is the only one in Britain right now, and it's something you have to be born with. I'm an animagus, which is also rare, but it's a skill that can be learned. An animagus can shift into the form of their 'inner animal,' which in my case is a Grim."

"So, it's not a hex or other magical curse?" Diana asked cautiously.

"No, not in the least," Sirius assured her.

"A Grim is a magical dog, believed by witches and wizards to be a harbinger of death," Tonks explained as she sat on a chair in the small living area. "So in that form, Sirius is magically strong, magically tough, and damned scary when he wants to be."

"And a slobbering maniac the rest of the time," Rose muttered, still trying to dry her face and hair.

"Oh, you know you missed me!" Sirius said jovially as he pulled his goddaughter into a bear hug.

"Well, I thought I did," she protested, though not too strongly.

"You seem to be one person short," he observed when he finally let her go. "Did you lose someone on the way, cousin?"

"I was wondering about that myself, but they said they'd explain once we got here," Tonks said.

"Remus decided to stay behind," Rose told them as she and Diana sat on the threadbare couch, though they had to move several newspapers, a jacket, and a plate with a half-eaten sandwich to make room. "He didn't want to stay at first, but we eventually talked him into it."

"What's so important that he'd stay in America for?" Sirius asked with a scowl.

"Not America, the island where I grew up," Diana answered. "Our healers think they may be able to do something about his affliction, and because of his relationship with Rose, my mother agreed to let him stay and be treated."

"Affliction?" Tonks squawked. "Is that another 'gift' from Boris the Bimbo? I _told_ him he didn't need to bother with that tramp!" Her hair had flamed bright red during the outburst, and she only got angrier when Rose started sniggering.

"What? No!" Diana said, startled. "Nothing like that, I assure you! I'm talking about his lycanthropy!"

"Really? A cure for his furry little problem? That's amazing!" Sirius exclaimed as he sat down across from the couch. "What are his chances? How long will it take?"

Diana shrugged. "I'm not an expert, so I honestly don't know what his chances are, but the healers are optimistic. Unfortunately, if it does work, it will take them between three and six lunar months to completely purge his infection."

"That long?" Tonks asked. Her hair, which had shifted from red to bright yellow at the good news, suddenly drooped and became a mousy brown. "I don't suppose they'd allow visitors?"

"I'm honestly not sure," Diana admitted. "It's possible, though, especially you. If I can get word to them, I'll ask, and if they agree, maybe I can take you the next time I return. But given what we're facing here in Britain, that may not be for quite some time anyway." Tonks nodded glumly.

"Oh, here's the newspaper you asked for," Rose said, pulling out the edition of the _Las Vegas Review-Journal_ with Remus on the front. "And I have another twenty in my bag."

"Excellent! I'll be able to make good use of this," Sirius said, snickering as he admired it. "Pity muggle photos don't move. I never knew Mooney could stick his tongue out that far."

"Apparently he was on muggle TV, which is even better," Rose replied.

"Tee-Vee?" Sirius asked.

Rose nodded. "Some show called 'Cops.' It's like a documentary or something about muggle aurors. I think they were doing a special about Vegas and intend to feature him."

"Oh! Oh! I've seen that show!" Tonks said, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha... gonna... do..." She trailed off when she noticed everyone was giving her weird looks. "What? Most of the aurors watch it. It tells us everything we need to know about muggle culture, laws, clothing, speech patterns, that sort of thing."

Sirius simply shook his head and returned his attention to the paper. "I'm thrilled that he has a chance at being cured, but unfortunately some of my plans assumed he'd be around to help. Ah, well — we'll just have to adapt." He shifted forward so he was sitting on the edge of his threadbare chair, his elbows on his knees. "Tonight you'll stay here so we can talk and make plans — maybe even get to know each other a bit."

"We go to headquarters tomorrow, then?" Rose asked.

Sirius nodded. "The Weasleys and Hermione are already there. Have been for a few weeks, in fact. Keep in mind that you probably won't get a warm reception at Headquarters, especially from Dumbledore. People are already annoyed that you've been missing for so long. Coming back married to a stranger will make matters worse, and the fact that you're married to a woman will send some right over the edge."

"Some like Mrs. Weasley?" Rose guessed, frowning.

"She's likely to be the most vocal, yes, but she won't be the only one. Pay attention to people's eyes and how they behave, not simply to who's loudest."

"Will it be that bad?" Diana asked. "Surely her friends wouldn't completely reject Rose out of hand because of this?"

"Wizarding Britain is bigoted, narrow-minded, reactionary, and xenophobic right to the core," Sirius answered. "People are treated worse and have fewer opportunities if they are perceived as not being fully human, if their families aren't old enough, if they express any interest in muggles, and so forth. The muggleborn still have it tough, and there are few efforts to make things better for them."

"What can people do to us, though?" Rose asked, sounding a little worried.

"That's a hard question to answer," Sirius admitted. "Most witches and wizards are pretty lazy, so they're unlikely to do anything that requires significant effort. Unfortunately, that laziness is why most of them want Rose to solve their small dark lord problem instead of trying something themselves."

"What is the government doing?" Diana asked.

"As little as possible," Sirius said disgustedly. "The _Daily Prophet_ keeps publishing articles about how everything's going fine and we need to wait for Rose to finally 'do her duty' for things to go back to normal. That's clearly the Ministry's position and it makes them look good, but all the letters to the editor reflect the same attitude."

"In practice," Tonks continued, ignoring Rose's growl, "the Minister has the aurors concentrated around the Ministry to protect the government. Well, mostly to protect _him_ , to be honest. Protecting Diagon Alley comes second, and everywhere else is a distant third. There aren't any active investigations or anything that would qualify as aggressively pursuing You-Know-Who or his Death Eaters."

"Is there any _good_ news?" Rose asked dejectedly.

"I spent some time in the Ministry archives investigating marriage laws," Tonks said, brightening a little. "Technically, the Ministry is obligated under international treaties to recognize any magically valid marriages entered into under the jurisdiction of any other magical government."

"'Technically'?" Rose repeated, her expression dubious.

Tonks nodded. "But that doesn't mean they will, especially since you two wouldn't be able to marry here."

"Can they get away with that?" Diana asked. "Would they risk damaging their reputation abroad?"

Sirius barked out a mirthless laugh. "They threw me in jail for over a decade without a trial and still won't do anything about it. Ministry leaders don't much care about what's right or legal, only what benefits them and what they can get away with."

Diana shook her head sadly before reaching out and taking Rose's hand. "I can understand why you sometimes question whether they are worth saving."

"Well, the Ministry isn't," Rose said. "But I do have friends here, and the Ministry sure as hell won't exert any effort to help or protect them. I may not know _what_ I'm going to do, but I know that I need to do _something_."

"One interesting consequence of your marriage is that you should be emancipated, Rose," Tonks went on. "Which means that you don't have to obey any adults outside of school — including Dumbledore or Snape."

"That... would be fantastic," Rose said, a surprised smile lighting up her face. "What with everyone trying to control me, emancipation and independence would be handy."

"But it ultimately hinges on your marriage being accepted and recognized," Tonks pointed out, and Rose's smile quickly faded.

"Right," Sirius said. "So while you may be able to get away with using that argument once or twice, you can't depend on it. If you push Dumbledore too hard with it, he might decide to push back. If he does, he might get your marriage declared null and void, at least in Britain. The Ministry certainly won't defend your relationship, and they have too much vested interest in you not being independent."

"What we need is more support," Tonks mused. "More eyes. More ears. Especially in the Order."

"Which we would have had, if Moony were here," Sirius noted.

Rose pursed her lips in thought for a moment, then called out, "Dobby!"

"Missy Rosey be calling Dobby!" the elf cried as he popped in. "What can Dobby be doing for—" He stopped abruptly and began looking back and forth between Rose and Diana. "Missy Rosey be bonded!" he said in wonder, clapping his hands.

"Yes, Dobby, I am," Rose replied. "This is my wife, Diana."

Dobby turned to focus on the Amazon and his eyes widened. "You... you... Dobby did not realize!"

Sirius and Tonks gave each other a questioning look while Diana reached out to touch Dobby on the shoulder. "I'm pleased to meet you, Dobby. Rose has mentioned you a number of times."

Dobby swooned. "Missy Rosey is the greatest witch _ever!_ Oh, Dobby be making a feast for Missy Rosey and her Missy Dinny..."

"Wait, Dobby, I need a favor," Rose said, trying to catch him before he got away.

"Yes, Missy Rosey?" he asked, his saucer-like eyes growing even rounder.

"We're returning to Sirius' old family home tomorrow, and we're not sure if the people already there will be friendly towards us. People in Britain don't look kindly on gay or lesbian couples. Do you think you could prepare a room for the two of us? And maybe keep an eye on what's happening?"

Suddenly Dobby's face fell, and he began yanking hard on his ears. "No, Dobby no can do. Dobby can't help Missy Rosey. Bad Dobby!" He rushed over to the wall and tried to beat his head against it.

"No, don't!" Rose cried, jumping up to restrain the elf.

"Are house elves all like this?" Diana asked, horrified.

"No, I've never seen one like him," Tonks admitted.

Rose placed her hands on the elf's shoulders as she crouched down in front of him. "What's the matter, Dobby?"

"Dobby can't be going to a hidden home if he's not bonded to the family," he said miserably. "But Dobby not want to be bonded. Dobby likes to be free!"

"Oh. Well, in that case never mind — I don't want you to give up your freedom," Rose said, guiding him back to the middle of the room.

"But Dobby wants to be helping Missy Rosey!" he wailed, pulling on his ears again.

"What is this bond?" Diana asked.

"You remember when I said that Dobby used to be owned by the Malfoys?" Rose responded as she sat back down. "He can't help us unless he's enslaved."

"That's horrible!" the Amazon hissed. "How could such a thing come about?"

"House elves are all supposed to be bonded to magical families as slaves," Sirius explained. "They were created to be that way by some dark lord long ago. I've never seen one that wants to be free."

"A dark lord created them?" Rose asked, her brow furrowing. "Sounds like an odd pastime for a dark lord."

"Not all dark lords want to take over the world," Tonks said. "Some just want to live quietly in their lairs and perform... questionable experiments. Most of them are like that, in fact. There aren't enough of the first sort to justify the existence of aurors dedicated to taking down dark witches and wizards, so much of our time is spent investigating the second sort."

"Questionable experiments?" Diana asked.

"Yeah. Trust me, the ones who are all showy and public aren't necessarily the worst." Tonks shivered, then took a deep breath. "But we're getting off topic. Dobby, didn't you say that Rose and Diana were bonded?" she asked, and the little elf nodded, looking at her quizzically. "Well, they aren't slaves, right? Why can't you bond to Rose like... I dunno, family? Would that be good enough?"

The little elf turned and looked at Rose hopefully. "Can Dobby be doing?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind," Rose said. "I have no idea how to bond a house elf the normal way, but if it can be modified so you're family, that would be great."

"Will it work, though?" Diana asked. "I absolutely will not own slaves — not in any form!"

Rose put a hand on Diana's. "I don't want to own slaves either. But didn't you say something about there being strength in submitting to love rather than to fear?" Diana nodded. "So, worst case scenario, he bonds as a slave instead of family, and I'll give him clothes to free him." She looked back at Dobby. "You'd be OK with that, right? Being freed again if it doesn't work?"

Dobby nodded vigorously. "Dobby trusts Missy Rosey."

"I guess that's acceptable," Diana said reluctantly.

"Then let's try it. What do I need to do?"

"Remember, both of you, to focus on thoughts of family and friendship. Don't think of slavery or servitude," Sirius cautioned them. "Magic is about will and intent."

Rose and Dobby both nodded in understanding, and once Dobby explained the bonding rite, they changed the words so they referred to family rather than servants. "Dobby, do you agree to become my family," she recited, holding one hand on his head, "bonded to me and to my family, in love and respect, for all your days?"

"Yes, Dobby agrees to become Missy Rosey's family."

Dobby's head glowed, and they all looked at him expectantly.

Suddenly he started jumping for joy. "Dobby is still feeling free!"

"Quick test," Rose said. "See if you can disobey my order: Dobby, kick Sirius!"

"Hey!"

"But Missy Rosey, what if Dobby not _want_ to disobey?" he asked, smiling slyly.

"Then you can always obey it later when he lets his guard down."

" **Hey!** "

"Yes, Missy Rosey."

"So, Dobby," Rose continued, ignoring her pouting godfather, "do you think you can now prepare a room for me and Diana at Headquarters? And keep it secret from everyone else, even Kreacher?"

"Oh, yes, Missy Rosey! Dobby be knowing where house is!" Dobby replied before popping away.

"Sirius," Diana said, "what is it you were saying about will and intent?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that, too," Rose added.

Sirius nodded. "This is an important aspect to magic, though it's not taught explicitly until this year, Rose. Until now you've spent a lot of time learning specific incantations and wand movements for every spell, but strictly speaking they aren't necessary. They help younger students properly form and direct magic, but adults are expected to be able to cast spells without them — not that most do, but it's expected. That's why in your sixth year you will learn silent casting."

"You can't graduate auror training unless you can cast everything silently," Tonks added. "And you can't become a Master Auror unless you can point-cast everything. That's casting with just a jab of your wand, no complex movements."

"What truly matters is will and intent," Sirius continued. "You have to understand what it is you want magic to achieve, and you have to want it to happen badly enough. The bigger or more complex the effects, the more understanding it takes and the greater your desire has to be. Not much will and intent is needed for a simple lighting or levitation charm, but a great deal is required to transfigure a desk into a horse."

"How might that have affected our wedding?" Diana asked curiously.

"That's a good question — I hadn't thought about that," Sirius said slowly as he leaned back in his chair again. "Quite a bit, perhaps, since the marriage was not only sealed magically, but also accepted by the Black family magic. Potter family magic, too, I suspect, but as far as I know, the Potters never had family rings like those. If, at the time of the ceremony, you weren't specifically focused on or intending for marriage—"

"Which seems possible, given the circumstances," Rose interjected, earning a snort of amusement from Tonks.

"Right, but maybe your intentions were focused on something that was essential to marriage?" Sirius suggested.

Diana looked at her wife, considering. "Something like a desire for love and affection?"

"Family and safety?" Rose responded.

"Or a desire for a partner — a true partner in mind, body, and magic," suggested Sirius.

"All of that is more than some couples manage to find," Tonks put in. "If you really were looking for such things, and sincerely believed you could find them in each other, then it makes sense that magic accepted you as married, sealing the bond."

Diana smiled and gently caressed her ring. "That makes me feel better. I refuse to regret the wedding, but in many ways it's still felt like a drunken mistake that we were lucky turned out as well as it did. But now... now it doesn't seem so much like a mistake. Or luck."

"Maybe you're right," Rose said, her expression thoughtful.

Diana shook herself from her musings. "Which reminds me: were you able to find out anything about these rings?"

Tonks' expression became downcast. "Yes and no. I did find something, but I don't know how useful it will be."

"Anything's better than nothing," Rose said resignedly.

"There was only one sentence that was clearly describing the effects of those rings," Tonks explained. "It was written in some weird combination of Latin and Greek, too. My best translation is that they were created to 'foster sympathy in a bonded pair of strangers, so that they might forever experience an arousing, harmonious union.'"

"That doesn't sound so bad..."

"On the other hand," Tonks continued, "it might have meant that they were designed to 'produce mutual suffering in two people forced together so that they would forever burn in concert.'"

Rose and Diana both gaped at the pink-haired witch.

"It wasn't very clear," she finished lamely.

"Knowing my family, that second translation might have more than a little bit of truth to it," Sirius added. "It certainly seems to describe my parents' relationship, though I don't remember ever seeing them wear those rings."

"But... but... these are _wedding_ rings," Diana protested.

Rose looked down at her hand with more than a bit of trepidation. "I haven't felt anything so far, have you?"

Diana shook her head. "We'll have to be very, very careful."

Sirius sighed. "I hope they don't cause trouble. I know it's not my fault, but I still feel responsible. I promise to look for more information, since I'll be going to the house with you tomorrow—"

"What?" Rose exclaimed. "You can't come!"

"Are you sure that's wise?" Diana asked. "I don't normally approve of deceiving friends and allies, but from what Remus and Rose described, it sounds like you're much safer if people think you're dead."

Sirius shrugged. "I'll have to come out eventually. Despite being a fugitive, I think I can do more to help Rose by being involved with the Order than by hiding here. It'll free up Tonks from having to come here regularly, too, and my presence may provide you with a distraction. The more time they spend focusing on me coming back from the dead, the less time they'll spend worrying about you and your new relationship." His serious mien turned into a broad grin as he added, "Besides, I _really_ want to see everyone's faces!"

"I wish there was something I could do to help you, Sirius," Diana said. "Unfortunately, I'm no longer in a position where I can influence the legal authorities to take another look at your case, especially since it involves murder."

"No longer?" Tonks asked. "What is it that you do, anyway?"

Rose and Diana traded a long look, and finally the Amazon responded. "Perhaps I should tell the two of you the full story, especially given how much you are helping us. I just ask that you not spread it around. It seems that few people in your society have any idea who I am or what I can do, and that will cause them to underestimate me."

"We want to wait until the best opportunity to let the kneazle out of the bag," Rose added.

Both Tonks and Sirius immediately agreed, and soon their jaws dropped to the floor in amazement — literally in Tonks' case, which amused Rose and horrified Diana — as they learned Diana's true identity and the full extent of her powers.

"So none of them — no one in the Order, in the Ministry, at Hogwarts, or among the Death Eaters — has any idea who you are or what you can do?" Sirius said once she was done. Then he grinned and started rubbing his hands together. "This is going to be the greatest prank ever! Now I _have_ to be there!"

* * *

In Wiltshire, in an old manor house that was in decline, another conversation was going far less pleasantly for those involved.

"So, your parents have informed me that you are ready and eager to serve our cause?" Voldemort looked down with disdain at the young, blonde wizard. His once boyish face was now all sharp angles. This created extra depth to the shadows on his face, making him look older and even a bit haggard, despite his youth.

"Yes, my Lord," he replied, nose up in the air as if he weren't talking to someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he said the wrong thing.

"Why?"

"My Lord?"

"Why do you wish to serve?"

"My Lord, I want to put mudbloods and blood traitors in their place! I want to teach them what being a real wizard means!"

Voldemort nodded slowly. Like most of those who had joined him, Draco longed to dominate the weak. That was fine with Voldemort — forcing the weak to submit to the strong was only right, after all. First, though, this wizard would have to learn that he wasn't the strongest. That he'd have to submit himself.

And for that, he'd have to learn fear.

Voldemort glanced over to where his mother and father were standing. Their expressions made it clear that they understood what was coming. "Very well. You start proving yourself to me by explaining what your orders are."

"I'm to find the secret room on the seventh floor of Hogwarts. In there should be a vanishing cabinet, the twin of the one in Borgin & Burkes. I'm to repair it so it can be used by your servants to enter Hogwarts."

"And when will you have it complete?"

"Before the end of spring term, m-my Lord."

"And what else?"

"I'm to find a way to kill Dumbledore. As soon as possible, my Lord."

"And?"

"Distract Potter. Make her life miserable."

"All correct. Before you can be accepted into my service, however, you will have to take my mark, like your father before you did."

"Yes, my Lord." There was an eager smile on Draco's face and Voldemort wondered if he'd manage any better than Lucius had. With a wave of his wand, the doors to the back of this throne room opened and two Death Eaters entered, dragging a limp figure between them. _Time to see what young Draco here is made of._

"Do you recognize her, Draco?"

The blonde wizard frowned. "No, who is she?

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Draco screamed and writhed on the floor for several seconds, only stopping and gasping for breath once Voldemort lifted the curse. Neither of his parents moved a muscle.

"You will learn respect, young Draco."

"Yes, m-my Lord. I'm s-s-sorry."

Voldemort suppressed a grimace at the growing pain he was experiencing over his link to the Potter brat. It hadn't been so bad for most of the summer, but earlier in the day the discomfort had started growing. Then, that evening, it occasionally flared into pain. As much as he typically enjoyed sessions like this, he'd have to move things along.

"Once again: do you recognize her?"

Draco pushed himself up to his knees and studied the unconscious girl. "N-no, my Lord."

"She was difficult to track down, but I was determined to have her here, just for you. Aren't you grateful?"

"Ye-yes, my Lord."

"Perhaps you'll recognize her name? Sally-Anne Perks." Draco's eyes widened slightly. "Yes, I can see that you do recognize it. This little mudblood used to be a schoolmate of yours until her filthy muggle parents withdrew her from Hogwarts. They didn't approve of magic, you see, and wanted to keep her in the muggle world." Draco nodded silently. "So I had her brought here for you to punish and prove your worthiness to take my mark."

"M-my Lord?"

"Ah, but of course — it's not nearly so amusing when they're unconscious. Here, allow me." Voldemort raised his wand high and cast with a dramatic flourish, _"Ennervate!"_

The girl stirred and slowly lifted her head, looking around the unfamiliar room. "Who...? Where...?"

"Go ahead, Draco. And be sure to make it entertaining."

"Draco?" the girl whispered. "Draco... Malfoy? I remember you..."

"I'm waiting, Draco." Voldemort fingered his wand while Draco rose unsteadily to his feet. The young wizard gripped his own wand and raised it, but then he hesitated.

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Draco dropped to the ground again, screaming. Sally-Anne joined him in screaming almost as loudly.

"This is but a taste of what will happen not only to you, but to both of your parents should you fail me as badly as they have," Voldemort admonished him. Bellatrix cackled as he struggled to his feet and looked over at his parents.

"What's the matter, Draco?" Voldemort asked silkily. "I thought you wanted to show animals like her their place? Don't you want to show her what a real wizard is like?"

"Ye-yes, my Lord," Draco's eyes were filled with fear and pain now, a stark contrast to when he entered a few minutes earlier. As he raised his wand and began to torture the mudblood, Voldemort could see that the boy was finally learning the truth about where his own place was. It would probably take a few more lessons in the importance of fear, but the Dark Lord was feeling optimistic about the lad's chances of surviving.

But not much more than that. Apparently, Draco liked to boast about who he was and what he wanted to do, but when it came to actually taking action... well, at least he had other plans in development that would take effect if or when Draco failed.

"Yes, excellent. You can learn, it seems." He suppressed another grimace as Potter's happiness skyrocketed again and hoped that Draco could make her miserable enough to put an end to this. Once he had the pain under control, he continued, "Perhaps you'll prove to be less of a disappointment than your father. Run along now — we all know how children need plenty of sleep. Tomorrow night, we'll hold the ceremony for your induction into our ranks and you'll be given my mark, symbolizing your status as my servant."

Draco gulped and nodded vigorously. It reminded the Dark Lord of a house elf, which he found absolutely delightful. "Th-thank you, my Lord," Draco said as he started to back away, but then he hesitated. "M-my Lord? My p-parents...?"

"Oh, no, Draco, there's no need for them to leave," Voldemort said with a smile, looking forward to the distraction from his discomfort that this would provide. "I still have some important matters to go over with your dear mother and father."

"May I assist, my Lord?" Bellatrix asked, an eager light coming into her eyes.

"Of course, Bella. I'm sorry for having denied you thus far. I know how difficult it can be for you to simply watch. Would you like to join us, Draco? Your aunt still has much she needs to teach you before you'll be ready to leave for Hogwarts."

Draco gulped audibly and shook his head before backing out of the room as quickly as possible. As he ran down the hall, he could hear his aunt cackle as she screamed, _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_


	6. House Rules

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Heroes Assemble!_ by Stargon1. After the final battle, Harry decides to travel the world and learn new things instead of settling back down into his old life. After five years, he arrives in New York City and decides to stay awhile. It's just his luck, though, that costumed heroes and villains decide to start duking it out there at about the same time.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 06 - House Rules**

 **Sunday, August 25, 1996. Grimmauld Place, London.**

"Wow, that's... that's amazing," Diana said as she watched Number 12 Grimmauld Place appear, pushing apart Numbers 11 and 13 without any of the muggles in those homes appearing to notice. "I wonder if this could be used for the island?"

"Maybe. The best person to ask would be Dumbledore, but I'm not sure how well that would go right now," Rose said as she absently scratched Padfoot's head. "We're lucky Tonks was able to get hold of a copy of the secret, otherwise you wouldn't be able to join us at all. You ready?"

Diana patted and adjusted the clothes Sirius had suggested she wear: tight black jeans, a red and gold muscle shirt, and a short black leather jacket. "Yes," she said, but when she looked over at Rose, she saw that she was frowning. "What's the matter?"

"I'm still not sure about Sirius' choice in clothing."

"You don't like it?"

Rose snorted and looked away. "It's not that — I think you look hot, actually."

Diana couldn't suppress her smile. They'd discovered back in America that Rose liked anything that emphasized Diana's physique, which Sirius' suggested outfit happened to do quite nicely. Truth be told, she was starting to like it, too, or rather she liked the effect such clothing had on Rose. That didn't mean she didn't find the constricting nature of it annoying, though, especially after having spent several days in proper robes.

"It's just that you're a bit... well, scary," Rose went on, "and I worry about how they'll react. I don't... I'm not looking for a confrontation here. Not if I can avoid it."

Diana was once again reminded of how young Rose was. Her home life, not to mention her many problems at school, had forced her to grow up fast, but none of it had allowed her to truly mature. She was still a student who was reluctant to assert herself against adults, at least to their faces. Diana felt a pang of sympathy for her - it wasn't all that long ago that she'd had to stand up to her own mother when deciding to leave the island for the first time.

"I understand your concerns, but we need them to know that neither of us — and especially me, since I'm the outsider — will be intimidated or bullied. They need to understand that you in particular will no longer allow yourself to be controlled by others without regard for your own wishes. I will approach them with an open hand of friendship, but I am prepared to close my hand into a fist should they threaten us or our marriage."

"You're right," Rose said with a sigh, remembering their discussion that morning. "A show of strength and determination, but not of aggression. Not so much that it makes them defensive, but enough to stop them from trying anything before they even start. It makes sense, I know that. It's just..."

Diana took Rose's hand and squeezed. "I understand. It can be hard enough to stand up to your enemies, but sometimes it's harder to stand up to those you care about — people who genuinely believe that they have your best interests at heart." Rose nodded and started leading Diana towards the front door. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll stay back in the shadows and wait until something happens before I do anything overt. You can take the lead."

"If you say so," Rose said softly, sounding unconvinced.

Rose tapped her wand on the door knocker, and a moment later she was recognized as a member of the family, allowing the door to swing open. Diana quickly learned why neither Tonks nor Sirius had been bothered by the run-down, decrepit apartment they'd been using — his family home was much, much worse. While the outside looked decent, the inside was as dark and unpleasant as any place she'd ever been. It wasn't just the wallpaper peeling off the walls or the disturbing stains in the carpet — it was that the inky shadows were much longer than they had any right to be.

They'd only taken a few steps into the front hall before they heard the thud of someone approaching. According to Tonks, there was supposed to be an Order meeting going on, which meant that they'd want to investigate any unexpected visitors. As promised, Diana leaned back into the shadows so she could observe events without attracting much attention to herself.

"Who's there?" came a gruff voice, and almost immediately a man with a peg leg and a wildly spinning eye appeared, wand at the ready. It was difficult to make out his features due to the deep shadows falling on his craggy face, but Diana guessed that it was Mad-eye Moody, the paranoid auror. "Potter? Is that you? About time... wait, is that Black? And who is that woman?" His wand shifted between Diana and Padfoot, and Rose moved to stand protectively in front of her godfather.

"Yes, it's me. Yes, it's him," she replied. "Now I'd appreciate it if you lowered your wand."

"We saw Black die!" Moody hissed, his wand now focused unwaveringly on the dead man come back to life. "How do you know you haven't been tricked?"

"Because there isn't any magic that can give someone my animagus ability and form," Sirius said as he shifted back into a human. "And if you want me to answer a security question, how about I describe that party we held for you when you got your first big promotion? You know, the one where you woke up the next morning in someone else's clothes? Gee... what was her name again?"

Moody stood there for a moment with his mouth hanging open, but then he let out a bark of laughter. "Hah, it **is** you! I should have known you'd try for a trick like that. Had us all fooled, too!"

"I'd love to hear that story," Rose whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Just never you mind, Miss Potter!" Mad-eye huffed.

Sirius gave her a wink. "How do you think he got started ranting about constant vigilance?"

Mad-eye growled warningly, then turned his attention to Diana. "Now, who's your friend there? I don't recognize her."

"She's with me," Rose said firmly. "I trust her with my life."

Before he could argue, more footsteps could be heard and the hall started to fill with Order members. Although she'd heard about most of them, Diana couldn't easily tell them apart due to how many were in the deep shadows that seemed to pervade the house.

"What's going on, Alastor?" asked a tall black man.

"Did we hear you say Rose's name?" demanded a redheaded woman who pushed her way through the crowd. "Oh, Rose, you're finally back! We were all so worried! I can't believe you ran off like that, young lady!" The woman, who could only be Molly Weasley, bustled over to Rose and pulled her into what appeared to be a painful hug. "I'm so glad you're here. The rest of the kids are all upstairs — Hermione, too, she got in yesterday. You can go wait up there with them until the meeting is over. I already got your bed ready in the girls' room. Albus said you were alright and would be coming home soon. Never misses a trick, that man."

"Molly, I don't think that will be necessary," Sirius interrupted, putting a hand on Molly's shoulder.

"Sirius!" she exclaimed. "We thought you were dead!" She promptly pulled him into an even tighter hug. "I should hex you! I should hex you so bad that you won't be able to sit down for a week!" Diana stifled a laugh as she watched confusion, annoyance, and finally resignation pass across Sirius' face. Molly Weasley looked to be every bit as overbearing as he'd described her, but Diana couldn't help but see the caring, loving mother, too.

"Miss Potter," came a new voice, and when Diana turned she knew she was facing Albus Dumbledore. He was exactly as he'd been described: a kindly-looking old man with a long beard and garish robes. Yet when she looked closely at his sharp, calculating eyes, she saw that there was far more going on there than his outward demeanor suggested.

"I'm so glad you have finally returned to us," he continued. "It was dangerous to leave the protection of the blood wards on Privet Drive."

"Not so dangerous, since you obviously couldn't find her," Sirius said pointedly. They'd agreed that he'd field criticisms made about her disappearance in order to take some of the heat off of her.

"Perhaps, but there was no guarantee," Dumbledore responded, turning his attention to the younger wizard. "And you, Sirius. I find myself quite surprised to see you alive. I had been certain that we'd lost you in the Ministry, and while I'm happy to have been wrong, I can't help but wonder why you made us all believe you were dead." The expected mutterings from the group clustered at the other end of the hall made it clear that the rest of the Order was both pleased and unhappy as well.

Then there was the man who looked like he was trying to kill Sirius with his eyes alone. The sallow face, hooked nose, and greasy hair could only mean it was Severus Snape, the school's Potions Professor and bane of Rose's existence. Diana's expression hardened as she vowed to keep an eye on him.

"I apologize for upsetting people, but I honestly felt that it would be better if I 'died,' at least for a while," Sirius explained. "With no one looking for me, I thought it would be easier to help Rose get the vacation she so desperately needed. She gets thrust into deadly situations every year in your school, Albus, then each summer she's forced to live with people who resent every minute she spends with them. She's long needed a chance to relax and unwind, far from the troubles that plague our world, and I was determined to give it to her." His expression turned hard. "I spent a lot of time reviewing how Rose has been treated, and I have to say that I'm disappointed in you, Albus. Perhaps I acted rashly in having her leave without telling anyone, but it was only because of how she hasn't been helped properly at all before now."

Dumbledore frowned but appeared to be taking the argument seriously, even if he didn't seem to want to accept it. The reactions among the other Order members ranged from thoughtful looks to disbelief at Sirius' effrontery, but at least they weren't interrupting.

"Plus," the man went on, "I hoped that it might be easier for my name to be cleared if I was dead and thus no longer considered a threat. That could only work if as few people as possible knew the truth. I hadn't decided yet who to tell aside from Rose, but I wanted to proceed cautiously."

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. "That's an interesting approach, Sirius — I wish I'd thought of it. I will of course see what I can do to help such a plan move forward." Sirius nodded, and Dumbledore pursed his lips as he looked around. "I had assumed that you were with Remus Lupin, Miss Potter, but I don't see him."

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, but I can't tell you where he is," Rose said, only a slight bit of hesitation in her voice.

"A likely story," Snape scoffed as he glared daggers at the girl, but she refused to meet his eyes.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, turning his attention to Diana. "I'm not sure how your friend managed to get in, since I don't remember giving her the secret, but I assume she has your trust if you were able to lead her here."

"Absolutely," Rose said, standing a little straighter.

"Headmaster, that woman has no business here," Snape insisted. "Bypassing our security already proves that she's untrustworthy, as are Potter and Black for helping her. We should interrogate them all, then obliviate the woman before dumping her on a street corner." Diana shot a quick glance to the others and saw that many seemed to find his argument persuasive. She returned Snape's look coldly, as if daring him to make the first move.

Rose positioned herself between Diana and the others — staying to Diana's left in order to leave her right arm free, just as she'd been taught — and Diana didn't miss how Rose's wand slipped down into her hand.

She didn't think the Headmaster missed it, either.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary, Severus," Dumbledore said carefully, holding up one hand. "If she has Sirius' and Miss Potter's trust, then we should be willing to extend our trust to her as well." He looked at Diana again, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "Have we by any chance met?" he asked her.

"No, I'm sure I'd remember you," Diana replied.

Dumbledore frowned. "How curious. You seem so familiar. It's almost as if..." He trailed off, then shook his head. "No matter, I'm sure it will come to me." He then turned back to look at Rose. "Since this evening's meeting was nearly at an end anyway, would you mind accompanying me to the drawing room? We have many important matters to discuss, including how you were able to bring your friend here."

Rose nodded and stepped forward, with Diana right on her heels.

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to Miss Potter privately," Dumbledore said.

Rose stopped and took a deep breath before she dropped her bombshell. "Headmaster, whatever you have to say to me, you can say to my wife, too. I don't keep any secrets from her."

Time ground to a halt. Utter silence reigned in the hallway, until it was abruptly shattered by a voice coming from above.

"Bloody hell!"

As the hall descended into pandemonium, Diana looked in the direction of the voice. Standing on the steps were a shocked-looking redheaded boy and girl about Rose's age, two older redheaded boys whose reactions fell somewhere between surprise and amusement, and finally a bushy-haired girl with an indecipherable expression on her face.

Ah. Diana had been wondering how she'd feel about meeting Hermione Granger — not only was the girl her wife's first love, but she was pretty sure Rose hadn't entirely gotten over her yet.

Below them on the wall was a set of curtains that kept moving as if they were trying to open on their own.

" **Silence!** " Dumbledore boomed, forcing everyone to stop trying to shout over each other.

"Miss Potter—" he began, only to be interrupted.

"She can't be married, she's too young! And _she's_ too old!" Molly Weasley exclaimed, stabbing a finger at Diana. "She certainly can't be married to another witch! Not only isn't it legal, it's... it's... it's _indecent,_ is what it is!"

"It's a trick, Headmaster. A pathetic bid for attention," Snape declared. Dumbledore frowned, looking less than happy at this turn of events.

"And _you,_ " Mrs. Weasley continued, rounding on Rose. "How could you do such a thing? You should be with a nice wizard!"

"It's who I am," Rose insisted. She hesitated and looked away as her voice dropped. "It's who I've always been, in fact. And I'm not changing. I don't _want_ to change."

The arguing only got louder, and every second it continued, Rose seemed to Diana to shrink a little bit further back from the adults who were supposedly there to support her. Glad that Sirius had insisted that they be prepared for a hostile reception, Diana took this as her cue. Pulling some parchment from her jacket pocket, she stepped forward and handed it to the Headmaster. "I assure you, Rose and I are married," she stated in a loud, clear voice. "Our marriage was performed in America, where it's perfectly legal in the magical community . And Rose isn't much younger than I am, anyway."

Molly barely glanced at the certificate before Dumbledore took it and cast several spells on it. "It's a copy, but it's magically valid," he announced with a sigh, causing everyone to erupt into new conversations. "I am disappointed in you, Miss Potter, rushing into marriage at your age with not just a complete stranger, but with another female. You must have known how such a relationship would be viewed here in Britain. Combined with people's reactions to the prophecy, this will cause us all great difficulty. Had you consulted me first, I could have explained to you how this act will sow division and distrust just at the time when we all need to be united in our efforts."

Diana moved to place herself between Rose and the others. It had the side-effect of highlighting the size difference between herself and the old wizard. Her jacket bulged and creaked ominously as she crossed her arms and looked down at him. "Frankly, Headmaster Dumbledore, it's not any of your concern whom Rose marries. She's her own person, not a pawn for others to use as they see fit. Not even you. I hope that we can work together as friends and allies, but that will require a certain amount of trust and respect which not everyone here has shown."

"Mrs. Potter—" he tried to say as the hostile mutterings grew in intensity.

"Potter-Black, technically," Diana interrupted. "Diana Potter-Black. But I intend to go simply by the name Diana Black. I hope it will reduce confusion."

Dumbledore glanced over at Sirius, who'd been grinning like a loon and enjoying the show ever since Rose had delivered her little surprise.

"Indeed?" the old man mused before turning back to Diana. "I don't dispute that Rose is her own person, but the fate of Wizarding Britain _is_ my business. If Rose does something that makes it more difficult for us to save our society from the depredations of Voldemort and his followers, then that becomes my business as well. Moreover, I can assure you that I am not so easily intimidated."

"Rose **cannot** be married to another woman!" Molly hollered, stamping her foot for emphasis.

At that, the curtains on the wall ripped apart and a horrible, shrieking voice filled the hallway. "Mudbloods! Blood traitors! You detestable filth are polluting the Noble House of Black. Get out! All of you, get out!"

Everyone winced and pulled back from what appeared to be a moving painting. "That's my mother's portrait," Sirius explained as he rushed to the curtains and started fighting to pull them closed. "She hates us all and never misses an opportunity to tell us that. Unfortunately, we can't remove her portrait from this wall."

"Not even you, Headmaster?" Diana asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Kreacher! Attend me! Remove this filth from my home!"

"Alas, every spell I have tried has failed," he admitted. "Whatever magic Walburga Black used to attach her portrait to that wall before she died has remained beyond my ability to counter."

Diana looked back to the screeching portrait and nodded to herself. She needed a way to demonstrate that she should be taken seriously, but threatening potential allies rarely turned out well. Now, however, she had an idea.

She shrugged out of her jacket, passing it to Rose before stalking over to the portrait. Sirius immediately moved out of the way, his mortified scowl replaced first by surprise, then by a dawning eagerness.

"Who are you?" Walburga demanded. "Some muggle? I don't see a wand in your hand. Or a muggle-lover, at the very least. Vermin like you should be scoured from the face of the Earth!"

Diana ignored the ranting as she felt with her fingers around the edges of her frame.

"What are you doing, girly? Don't think that you can do anything about my portrait. No magic can remove it, and certainly no muggle can do any better."

"I'm no muggle," Diana whispered so that only the portrait could hear. "Nor am I a witch." All of the mutterings behind her slowly faltered as the Order tried to see what she was doing. Her back to them, she went on: "I am Diana, Amazon warrior, Princess of Themyscira, blessed by Artemis and Athena, Demeter and Hestia, Aphrodite and Hermes; emissary from my people to Patriarch's World."

The portrait fell silent in shock, staring open-mouthed as Diana gripped the upper edges of the frame and pulled.

Nothing happened.

Diana frowned as Snape could be heard disparaging her in the background and Walburga's portrait smirked. "It's no use, girly," the long-dead witch said.

The Amazon readjusted her grip and pulled again. **Hard**.

She ignored the gasps behind her as her too-tight shirt ripped under her bulging back and shoulder muscles. She paid no attention to the increasingly alarmed expression on Walburga's face. She didn't worry about the whispered _"Stupefy!"_ from Sirius. Her own grimace turned to a smile, however, when she felt more than heard a deep, pained groaning that reverberated throughout the house. Walburga began shrieking again, this time in terror as the top of her frame began separating from the wall, millimeter by millimeter.

The entire house shuddered when she finally ripped the frame away with a loud _crack_. She held it up in her hands, looking at Walburga's horrified expression. "Goodbye," she said simply as she crushed the frame and portrait together, smashing the pieces of wood and canvas into each other until there was nothing but a small wad about the size of a softball. She tossed it up and down in her hand a few times before she walked over to Dumbledore, grabbed his hand, and slapped the ex-portrait into it.

"Intimidated yet?" she asked softly. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Snape attempting a glare, but it didn't look like his heart was entirely in it.

"I shall... think on it," the old wizard said as he studied her face carefully.

"Good, because I won't tolerate any interference in our marriage," she said. Then she shot a cold look at Snape before adding, "Nor will I tolerate anyone disrespecting either Rose or myself."

Turning to Rose, who was gazing up at her in awe and wonder, she nearly tripped over a small body on the floor.

"Sorry," Sirius said as he levitated an old, wrinkled elf into the sitting room. "This is my family's house elf, Kreacher. He's devoted to my mother and didn't take your actions too kindly." Diana nodded, remembering his earlier warnings. The elf might become an even bigger problem now, after what she'd done.

"Shall we retire to our bedroom?" she asked a grinning Rose as she put her jacket back on.

The crowd of Order members quickly parted as the two headed for the stairs, as did Rose's friends, who'd been watching the entire time. It was only when Rose and Diana had reached the second floor that they heard the din of conversations resume and the pounding of feet following them up.

"This looks like the room Dobby told us to use," Rose said, reaching for the door at the end of the hall.

"That's locked," Ron called from behind them. "Mum wanted us to clean in there, but no one has been able to get it open."

Rose shrugged and grabbed the handle, finding that the door swung easily open under her touch.

"Bloody hell!" came the response, followed immediately by Hermione's, "Language!"

"How did you do that?" asked one of the twins. Diana knew better than to even wonder which it was, much less ask.

"Dobby set it up for us," Diana answered as Rose opened the wardrobe, finding all their clothes already unpacked. "We didn't want to have to deal with arguments over our sleeping arrangements, so Dobby agreed to take care of things."

"Are you really married?" asked the girl who was probably Ginny. "It's not an elaborate prank or anything?"

"Even if it is true," said the second twin, "it's _still_ a magnificent prank."

"Those are the best kind," added the first sagely.

"Especially the presentation. An absolute masterpiece!"

"Yes, we're married," Rose answered, rolling her eyes at the twins' antics. "The ceremony was a couple of days after my birthday. We didn't lie about anything we said downstairs. There are certainly things we didn't bother to mention, but everything we did say was true."

"Wow," Ginny responded, looking at each in turn. "I... I didn't know girls could marry each other."

"Not in Britain, and not in the muggle world, but magical society in North America allows it."

"Wicked!" the twins said in unison.

"I'm Ginny Weasley," the red-headed girl said, holding out a hand to Diana. "This is my brother Ron," she gestured to the shorter boy, "and my twin brothers, Fred and George. That's Hermione by the door."

"I'm Diana."

"Greetings, fair lady," the twins said, bowing at the waist.

Diana looked around at their faces, noting their reactions. There was some confusion and more than a bit of curiosity, but she couldn't detect any overt hostility. The only enigma was Hermione, who had stayed just outside the door and was maintaining a neutral expression as she looked back and forth between Rose and Diana.

"How have things been?" Rose asked, breaking the awkward silence before it went on too long. "I mean, with people's reactions to the prophecy?"

"Has the furor died down, you mean?" Ginny asked, and Rose nodded.

"Fat chance," Ron said, and the others quickly agreed.

"The _Prophet_ has regular articles about you," one twin said. "Sadly, they can't seem to decide between praising you for how important you are and criticizing you for not doing your job — sometimes in the same sentence. It gets rather confusing, really."

"And those are the good parts," the other twin continued. "Letters from readers are much, much worse."

"Not as bad as the Howlers, though," Ginny said with a shudder.

"Howlers?" Diana asked.

"Magical hate mail," Ginny explained. "They scream the contents at you before exploding in your face."

Ron nodded. "We figure people tried sending Howlers to Rose, but couldn't, so they started sending them to us instead."

"Oh, no!" Rose gasped.

"Eh, it's not a problem as long as we're here," Ron said. "No mail from people not keyed in can get through the wards."

"We've had to put up similar wards at the store," one of the twins said.

"Hermione?" Rose asked. "What about you? Did you...?"

Hermione shook her head. "Fortunately, my parents and I were abroad for the first couple of weeks, then I came here. Professor Dumbledore also put some basic mail redirection wards on our house, so my parents don't have to deal with it. I think he probably did the same to your relatives' home, and that's why you didn't get anything before you left Britain."

Rose nodded, and everyone fell silent again. Diana suspected that Rose felt guilty over what had been happening, and everyone knew it.

"I think it's time to leave these two lovebirds alone," one of the twins said — she couldn't tell anymore if it was the first or second, as they'd switched places at least once since entering the room. Deliberately, she suspected.

"Indeed we should, brother of mine," said the other as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "They are still newlyweds, after all."

"Can I... can I stay?" Hermione said tentatively as the others filed out.

"Ooh — a threesome!" one twin said over his shoulder.

"Can we watch?" the other asked hopefully, craning his neck.

Hermione flushed scarlet. "To _talk!"_ she insisted. She was still standing outside and looked reluctant to enter.

"Of _course_ you can!" Rose exclaimed, giving the nearest twin a shove before pulling Hermione in.

Diana looked from one to the other. "Well, I'll just go and... freshen up," she said tactfully, closing the bedroom door behind her with a soft thud.

The silence hung heavy in the room as the two friends stared at each other, alone for the first time since that long-ago discussion in the hospital wing. One moment ticked by, then another... and suddenly they were launching themselves into each other's arms.

"I'm so sorry!" they both cried simultaneously.

"What are _you_ sorry for?" Hermione asked, pulling back a little to look at Rose.

"For making you feel uncomfortable? For pressuring you like that when you had just woken up after being injured — especially since it was my fault you got injured in the first place? For almost getting you killed?"

Hermione shook her head. "You did nothing wrong. Your timing wasn't ideal, but I understood why you did it then and never held it against you. I certainly wasn't upset that you were attracted to me. Honestly, it was flattering. I've never had anyone say such things about me. And when I considered it, I realized that in some ways it meant more coming from another girl than it would coming from a bloke. Especially you. I just... couldn't return the feelings. _I'm_ sorry that I didn't make it clear that I was never angry with you."

Rose pulled Hermione back into a tight hug. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I knew you weren't angry."

"It was a misunderstanding then," Hermione said. "Emotions were running high, and we didn't get a chance to talk properly before you disappeared."

"I'm sorry about that, too."

"No, don't apologize. Sirius was right — you needed to get away. I wish I'd thought of that myself. I'm sure my parents could have taken you with us during our summer vacations to the continent. Oh, now I feel awful for never having asked!"

"It's alright, I wouldn't have wanted to intrude on your family time. You don't see enough of them as it is."

"So we're still friends?" Hermione asked, pulling back again and gazing into Rose's eyes.

" _Best_ friends. Forever."

"Good," Hermione said firmly, squeezing Rose even harder. "And don't worry, I'm not going to treat you any differently. I won't let there be any awkwardness between us!"

They stood like that for a few moments before Hermione pulled back again and said, "So, um... married? When you wrote that you had big news to share, this never even entered my mind as a possibility. Tell me you didn't run off and get married because of... well, because of what happened between us."

Rose separated from Hermione and sighed as she dropped to the bed. "No, it wasn't like that at all. It was... well, at one point I would have said it was a mistake, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'm not sure about anything."

"Why don't you tell me what happened," Hermione said as she sat beside her on the bed. So that's what Rose did, leaving out only things that would have led to questions about Diana's true identity.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief once she was done. "Every time I think you've reached the limit when it comes to getting caught up in bizarre situations, you prove me wrong and blow right past it."

"Are you upset with me?" Rose asked a little hesitantly.

"No, I suppose not," Hermione answered, reaching out and patting her friend's hand. "A little disappointed, maybe, that you'd let something like that happen; but if what Sirius said is right, then I guess it's not nearly as bad as it seems."

"Thanks," Rose whispered. "I was worried about what you'd say."

"What matters isn't how I feel, but how _you_ feel."

"How I feel?"

"About her. About being married to her," Hermione explained.

"That's... complicated."

Hermione waited patiently as Rose gathered her thoughts.

"I like her," she finally said. "She's nice. Gorgeous as hell — sometimes, when I see her, my brain just shuts down and I lose the power of speech. At the same time, though... I can't say that I'm in love with her or anything like that. I think that I _could_ fall in love with her, given the chance. We're already technically married, but she's 'courting' me — says it will help develop and strengthen our relationship."

"That's good. She's taking this seriously."

Rose nodded. "It's tough sometimes. We're so different. She's so much more... well, _more_ than I am. I don't come anywhere close to measuring up. And while she isn't a whole lot older, it sometimes feels like a huge difference."

"The age difference means more now than it will in a few years. You'll have to work to overcome it. So what are you doing at this point?"

Rose smirked. "Right now, our relationship is mostly physical."

"I don't think I need to hear about that!"

"No, I didn't mean sex," Rose said with a laugh. "Well, not _just_ sex. I did mention how gorgeous she is, didn't I? But what I meant is she's showing me how to move and fight. I think I'm better at dodging spells now. Not as good as her, but better. And if I can get close to an opponent, I think I can take their wand and incapacitate them. That'll surprise some purebloods."

"How does that strengthen a relationship, let alone a marriage?" When Rose grinned, Hermione added, "And no, I'm not talking about the sex!"

"It's hard to explain," Rose said after a moment. "It has to do with working together, with trusting each other. We're learning how to come together in heart, mind, and body. We're supposed to be able to do so as equals, but I don't feel like an equal next to her. I mean, you _have_ seen her, right?"

Hermione got an odd expression on her face for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I definitely saw her. She's... impressive, I'll give you that. I can understand feeling inadequate next to her."

"I keep trying, though," Rose said. "I need to get better, to live up to certain standards. To... well, to deal with that prophecy."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, frowning slightly.

Rose nodded. "That's the point of the courtship ritual her people have. I need to prove myself worthy."

"If you say so."

Just then the door opened and Diana stuck her head in. "Everyone OK in here?"

"We're fine," Hermione said as she stood, "I should get to bed anyway. We'll talk more later, Rose." She hesitated as she was about to leave the bedroom, then she pulled the older woman into a hug.

Diana felt the air whoosh out of her and thought she might have felt her ribs shift under the pressure.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Hermione called after letting her go.

"She's surprisingly strong," Diana said, rubbing her side once the bushy-haired witch was gone. "Maybe the Justice League should take a look at recruiting her."

"Nah — given how they treated you, she wouldn't give them the time of day."

"Oh?"

"She's protective of the people she cares about, and right now, that includes you."

Diana smiled broadly. "I like her more and more. I can certainly see why she caught your eye."

Rose examined her left wrist, then said, "Is it just me, or has no one else noticed these tattoos? I half expected Mrs. Weasley to rant about them, assuming she ran out of steam ranting about everything else."

"I noticed that, too," Diana replied, looking at her own wrist. "If these were normal tatoos, I'm sure people would see them. I can only assume that something about the magic that created them is also concealing them, at least from people who don't need to know about them."

"I guess that's one thing we don't have to worry about. Thanks, uh, for what you did downstairs. Stepping in, I mean, when things got heated. I'm sorry that I... well..."

"I think it would have been difficult for even an adult to stand firm against so much condemnation from people they respected," Diana assured her. "You bear no shame for needing me to provide support. That's part what being married means, after all."

Rose grinned. "That was pretty wicked, what you did to the portrait. Sirius was acting like all his Christmases had come at once."

"It did seem to create an impression," Diana observed. "I think most of them know now that we won't be pushed around, as Sirius feared they would try to do."

"And that outfit helped, I'm sure." Rose smiled back as she stepped up to her wife. "Now, let's get it off of you."

"But I thought you liked this outfit?" Diana asked coyly, cocking her hip and allowing her jacket to slowly slide off one shoulder.

"Oh, I do," Rose replied in a husky voice as she looked Diana up and down. "But I think I'll like stripping it off you even better."

Diana grinned as Rose reached out for her.

* * *

 **Monday, August 26, 1996. Grimmauld Place, London.**

"Thanks, Dobby, that was great," Rose said as she gave her empty plate to the house elf. "But more coffee, please."

"You drink too much of that," Diana noted.

"It's your fault," Rose retorted. When Diana quirked an eyebrow, she clarified, "You keep me up too late. I need coffee to stay awake now."

Diana smiled as Dobby brought over a large mug — Rose's third of the morning. "Extra strong, Missey Rosie," he announced.

"You seem a lot happier now that you've bonded with Rose," Diana observed.

"Oh, Dobby is, Missy Dinny!"

"Bonded?" came a cry from the kitchen doorway. "I can't believe you enslaved him!" Hermione came storming in. "Rose Potter, I thought you knew better!"

"And I thought you knew _me_ better, Hermione Granger," Rose snapped back, causing Hermione to stop short. "Just because he's bonded with me doesn't mean he's my slave."

"And I would never put up with it if he were," Diana added. "I abhor slavery in all its forms. Among my people, slavery is considered one of the worst crimes possible."

"Well, then what—"

Rose cut her off. "What we did was take the normal bonding rite and change it so that he bonded to me as family rather than as a slave. I figured that if it didn't work, I could free him immediately — but it did work. Not only is he not a slave, but he gets the same benefits that a normally bonded elf has, like being able to access any home where I'm a part of the family, even if it's under the Fidelius Charm."

"So that's how he was able to get in and prepare things for you! I was wondering about that..." Hermione looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry, Rose, I... I reacted without thinking. I should have asked first."

"Yes, you should have," Rose said tartly, but then she relented at the look on her friend's face. "I know it's because you feel so strongly about them," she went on more quietly. "It's one more thing that's wrong with this society."

"It's not just your magical society that has this problem," Diana noted. "Non-magical society may not have elves, but everywhere you look you will find the weak being forced to submit to the strong out of need and fear. One of the reasons I left my community was to share a message of a different way of doing things. That's always the critical starting point: convincing others that a different way of doing things is even possible. As I've learned, though, it's a lot easier to say that than it is to actually do it."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully as she nibbled on some toast that Dobby had left out. Then she blew out a breath. "So why are you two up so early, anyway? Usually I'm the only one up at this hour."

"We have a lot of shopping to do, and we want to have enough time to get it done," Diana said. "We have no idea how long we're going to need at your bank, Gringotts."

"But Professor Dumbledore said we shouldn't go to Diagon Alley — it's too dangerous!" Hermione protested. "Members of the Order have to go to get us anything we need."

Rose shrugged. "He hasn't said any such thing to me, not that it would matter. I'd go anyway."

"Why?"

"He's the Headmaster," Diana explained. "His authority over Rose doesn't extend past the school. He's not her father, her grandfather, or her guardian either. And I'm an adult, so he has no authority over me whatsoever. On top of that, his attempts to 'protect' Rose seem to have put her in more danger than anything else."

"But... but..."

"Diana is right," Rose added. "During the past couple of weeks I've been telling her about what's happened to me at Hogwarts, and she's had a lot of questions that I haven't been able to answer. Think about the fact that he hasn't prepared me for anything. He abandoned me at the Dursleys without ever asking if they wanted to take me in, or if they even could. He never checked on me himself. He knew I'd be famous, but instead of helping me deal with that, he dropped me into the middle of a strange, magical world I knew nothing about. He knew about the prophecy, but instead of easing me into this knowledge of my destiny, he allowed it to be dumped on me without warning."

"Dumbledore isn't perfect — he can't solve _every_ problem," Hermione protested.

Rose raised a hand soothingly. "Of course not. And we're certainly not saying that he's evil."

"Still, those are huge blunders for someone with his level of knowledge, experience, and responsibility," Diana pointed out. "We have no intention of working against him, but I don't think Rose should blindly follow him, either. He's going to have to work hard to earn trust from us."

"I suppose I can understand that."

"Rose has power," Diana went on. "Not just magical, but political and social as well. Power isn't something that a person can naturally and automatically know how to properly use. It's something that has to be learned through training in a controlled environment. Through trial and error. Unfortunately, given how quickly events are moving, we don't have time to make up for what she's lost."

"So what are you doing?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"I'm teaching her the culture of my people as a proxy," Diana answered. "History, politics, traditions, and of course how to fight with a sword and shield. I'm focusing on that which will help her control and exercise power." Diana turned to look at Rose. "Last night was a first step, actually. Confronting everyone like she did wasn't easy, but we talked about how to do it, and it worked out well."

"I'd wondered about that," Hermione observed.

"It wasn't easy," Rose admitted. "Telling off someone like Umbridge is one thing, but Dumbledore? Mrs. Weasley?"

"Are you going to continue to do that?" Hermione asked.

"If I have to, though I shouldn't need to. My marriage should technically emancipate me, which means that, away from Hogwarts, I'm as much outside everyone else's authority as Diana is. Order members like Dumbledore can advise us, but they can't order us to do anything we don't want to do."

Hermione stared at them. "Emancipated? Really?"

"We hope so," Diana answered first. "A lot depends on who recognizes our marriage as valid."

"I wonder if the goblins would know one way or the other?"

"That's one reason why we're going there first," Diana said. "They're independent of your Ministry, which may help."

"If people are going to be upset at our leaving, do you suppose you'd be able to run a little interference for us?" Rose asked.

"Absolutely not!" Hermione said, and Rose's face fell. "Because I'm going with you!"

"Why?" Diana asked.

"I know she's got you to keep her out of trouble now, but the fact is, I have more experience at it than you," Hermione explained. "And it will probably take two of us anyway."

"Good point," Diana said, smiling. Rose simply groaned and hung her head in her hands.

* * *

 **The Fate of Sally-Anne Perks (AU Omake)**

A few readers seemed a bit distressed at what happened to Sally-Anne in the last chapter, even though having the torture curse cast on her isn't that much different from what happens to so many characters in so many stories, including my own. Then again, I suppose there is also concern about what might have happened to her later, which I admit probably wasn't all that pleasant.

Instead of the horrific tortures and depredations that she undoubtedly suffered during the revel the following evening when Draco received his Dark Mark, feel free to imagine an alternative fate...

Sally-Anne gripped tightly the rusty spoon as she dug down through rock and dirt. It had been given to her with the meager gruel that was her one meal of the day, and the guard never noticed its absence when her bowl was retrieved. Working diligently all through the night, she tunneled her way out of the dungeon and up onto the manicured grounds of the Malfoy Estate.

Unfortunately for her, Peter Pettigrew was taking Nagini for walkies and happened to be standing right there when she popped up through the grass. The tense stand-off was only broken when Sally-Anne cooed at how cute Nagini was and started scratching her under the chin. Who knew the girl had plans to become an ophiologist? Her scratches were much better than Voldemort's, and Pettigrew was getting tired of being the Dark Lord's go-to torture target, so the three decided to flee the country together.

By dawn they made it to the coast, where they boarded a ship carrying a cargo of illicit freeze-dried haggis destined for Hong Kong. Several weeks later they emerged from the hold, a whole lot thinner (there had been little on board worth eating) and much, much closer to each other. Nothing forges bonds of friendship like shared hardship, after all.

Since none of them had any marketable skills, they were forced to turn to a life of crime. Soon the unlikely trio was rising fast through the ranks of Shui Fong, one of the island's most powerful Triads. Sally-Anne played the innocent who stabbed you in the back when you weren't looking (she kept that spoon), Uncle Petey played the bumbling fool who... was indeed pretty bumbling most of the time, and Nagini ate anyone who needed to disappear. By the turn of the millennium, they were practically running all haggis and marmite smuggling operations in and out of Hong Kong. It hardly needs to be said that they lived happily ever after.

There, now wasn't that better?


	7. Ready for the Shuffle

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _The Shadow of Angmar,_ by Steelbadger. The Witch King of Angmar wants to bring Morgoth back to Arda. What he gets instead is Harry Potter, the Master of Death. Harry is tortured for a year until Angmar falls and he is freed. Little more than a shell of a man, he makes his way across Middle Earth, learning how to use magic again and of course getting into all sorts of trouble.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 07 - Ready for the Shuffle, Ready for the Deal**

 **Monday, August 26, 1996. Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Diagon Alley.**

"Kobaloi!" Diana muttered under her breath as soon as they'd entered the lobby. "I suspected when we saw the guards, but they were wearing too much armor to be sure. Now, though..."

"What's a kobbyloy?" Rose asked.

"Kobaloi, plural of kobalos," Diana corrected. "They're imps from ancient Greek stories. Trickster beings who might offer to help you, but who usually ended up deceiving you and leaving you worse off and poorer than you were before. Very dangerous. They all disappeared at some point, and none knew what had happened to them. I'd never have expected them to become bankers."

"I'm not sure that it's all that much different from what they were doing before," Hermione observed. "Just better organized. And now people wait in line to pay for the service."

"My mother will want to hear of this," Diana murmured softly, earning her a curious glance from Hermione.

"Excuse me," Rose said when they reached a free teller. "I'd like to talk to someone about my account."

The goblin glanced briefly up at her scar, then looked carefully at her again before nodding. "Someone will be with you shortly. Wait over there."

After a few minutes they were led through a maze of winding hallways to an ornate office that wouldn't have been out of place in one of the better muggle banks. Inside was a well-dressed goblin whose neat suit would have likely made any muggle banker green with envy. There was no mistaking him for a muggle, though — not when Rose considered his long ears, his hooked nose, or his fierce visage. Whereas muggle bankers looked at home holding a pen, this goblin looked as though he'd prefer to be holding a sword or axe.

"Miss Potter," he said, "you may call me Goldsack. What can I do for you?"

"It's Mrs. Potter now, actually. Or Mrs. Potter-Black. I got married in America a few weeks ago and was wondering if that meant that I was emancipated now. Or if Gringotts at least would treat me as emancipated."

"Emancipation is a legal issue and not one our bank deals with," he said with a frown. "Regardless, why would your emancipation be in doubt? It should follow automatically. It would make no sense for someone to be married but still under the legal guardianship of others."

"Because she married me," Diana answered, holding the goblin's gaze without a hint of shame or fear.

"I see," Goldsack said slowly. "That does change things, doesn't it? I have no idea what your Ministry will do, though I can guess. Gringotts doesn't care who you marry. We have branches in the United States, so we are obligated to respect American laws when it comes to the status of our customers there. Since you were married in America, you're married as far as the bank is concerned, and that means we'll treat you as emancipated, regardless of what the British Ministry says or does."

"Thank you," Rose said.

"Do you intend to officially register your marriage here in Britain?" he asked as he began to sort through some parchment.

"We're not sure," Diana said with a glance over to Rose, who shrugged. "Probably not. We'd like to avoid the publicity for as long as possible."

Goldsack nodded as he pulled sheets of parchment out of a file. "That may be wise. Emancipation won't result in a huge change for you, Mrs. Potter, since you're already sixteen and thus less than a year from being of age anyway. You'll get access to your family's vault a little early and... yes, that's it."

"Family vault?" Rose asked. "I thought I only had my trust vault."

Goldsack shook his head. "Your trust vault is just that: something placed in trust for you. It never represented all of your family's assets. Your family was never wealthy, mind you, and they lost much during the last war, but there is enough in your family's vault to live comfortably for some time, especially if you're frugal." He pushed some parchment over to her. "Sign here to make it official."

"I'd also like to give my wife access to my vaults."

"Of course. I'll need to do a blood test to verify identity, then we'll add her."

Diana gave him a hard look when he held out a ritual knife. "You said we can call you Goldsack, but is that actually your name?"

The goblin grinned toothily at her. "For the duration of this meeting, it is."

"And what about the rest of the time?" Rose asked.

"Names have power," Diana answered as she took the knife.

"Indeed they do," the goblin said evenly. "And I choose not to give you any further power over me."

Diana pricked her thumb with the knife, then placed a drop of blood in the center of a piece of parchment that had been specially charmed. Goldsack sat back and watched Diana's family tree appear. It didn't take long, and the account manager was left gaping in surprise as he looked back and forth between the parchment and the princess.

"This... this is truly unexpected. We thought your people lost long ago... when you disappeared, we simply assumed..."

"And we thought the same about you," Diana replied. "Imagine my own surprise when I came in here today and found you working as bankers, of all things.

Goldsack chuckled. "It was a difficult transition, I must admit, but we have thrived because of it." He gathered up several pieces of parchment, including the charmed one which Diana had just used, before stepping away from his desk. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to need to get my supervisor's approval on this."

"I'm missing something important, aren't I?" Hermione asked once they were alone. "I knew of course that you didn't tell me everything about the community you came from, and that's fine. But clearly there's more going on here than people living in seclusion."

Rose looked at Diana with a pleading expression, and after a moment, Diana nodded. "My people are an all-female community which originated in ancient Greece. Our culture continues to adhere to that era's customs..."

"Amazons!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "You're an Amazon, aren't you? And that means... but you can't really be..." Her voice went down to a barely-audible whisper. "Wonder Woman?"

"Rose was right about how quick you are," Diana said, clearly impressed. "Yes, I am. I was sent as an emissary and ambassador to Patriarch's World, but recently I encountered... difficulties. My marriage to Rose has created new options, and I've committed myself to joining her here, where I can help her fight."

"But why wouldn't you tell anyone? That's so incredible!"

"We decided to conceal the full truth of who and what I am so that people would underestimate me. We're at war, and in some ways I'm not sure that Voldemort is our only opponent."

It only took Hermione a moment to put it together. "You're talking about Dumbledore, aren't you? You said earlier that you don't trust him."

"And you know why, too," Rose said. "I'm sure we'll tell him eventually, but not until he's earned enough trust from us."

"So you won't say anything?" Diana asked.

"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "Even if I didn't see where you have a point, I wouldn't say anything. It's your secret to keep or to tell, not mine."

"Thanks," Rose said as she reached out and gave Hermione's hand a squeeze. "That means a lot to us."

Before they could talk further, the door banged open and Goldsack returned. "Everything's been taken care of," he announced once he was back in his seat. "I have new keys for the both of you, plus an official copy of our lineage test, in case you need it." He pushed several items across the desk. "Take care, though, because your lineage test shows your marriage to Miss Potter here."

"Thank you," Diana said as she accepted the keys and parchment.

"I don't want to detain you, since I'm sure you have much that you need to get done," Goldsack continued. "However, when you have time, there are several managers here who would like to meet with you about reestablishing ties between our peoples."

"I would be honored to begin discussions on that topic."

"Excellent! I have a clerk waiting to show you out."

* * *

"That was a bit more interesting than I'd expected," Hermione observed as they exited the bank and passed the goblins standing guard at the door.

"Never a dull moment when you're with me," Rose said with a lopsided grin, causing Hermione to roll her eyes as they started down the steps. "Want to stop at Fortescue's before we continue shopping?"

"What's Fortescue's?" Diana asked.

"Only the best ice cream in the world, Mrs. Potter-Black!" Rose declared.

Diana brightened considerably at that, then suddenly she shouted, "Get down!" as she dragged both girls to the ground with her. Rose felt as much as heard spells pass above them. Up the street, a few yards from the Gringotts steps, were three black-robed figures standing with their wands drawn.

"You fools! You cast too soon!" one shouted. "Get them!"

"Back into the bank!" Rose cried as she and Hermione cast shields. They tried to move backwards up the steps but stumbled and fell over something in their way. To their horror, they discovered it was the bodies of the two goblin guards. One was clearly dead, his head shattered by some sort of curse; but the other had been hit in the chest where his armor protected him from most of the effects of the spell.

Both witches had lost their shields in their moment of distraction, but no spells even passed by them, much less hit.

"Holy Cricket!" Hermione exclaimed. When Rose looked, she saw what had so surprised her friend: Diana was standing in front of them, her white robe billowing as she blocked spell after spell with her bracelets. Most ricocheted harmlessly into the walls of surrounding buildings, but she was able to return enough spells to the attackers to ensure that the three Death Eaters had to keep moving, lest they suffer from their own curses.

"Isn't she amazing?" Rose gushed, gazing up in wonder.

"Rose, we need to _help!"_ Hermione shouted in exasperation, smacking her friend on the shoulder.

Rose shook herself. "Uh, right. Can you shield for both us and this goblin?" As Hermione got to it, she started firing off a string of offensive spells. _"Bombarda! Reducto! Bombarda! Confringo! Confringo!"_

The three attackers immediately cast their own shields, which gave Diana enough of a break that she was able to back up behind Hermione's defenses. "Are you injured?"

"No, but one goblin guard is dead and the other is pretty badly hurt," Hermione said, wincing as her shield got hammered by several nasty curses.

Diana raised her voice and called, "Surrender, and you won't be harmed!"

 _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_ was the only reply, and suddenly a sickly green curse was rushing towards them. Everyone dove behind the large stone columns in front of the bank, and Rose was relieved that she'd taken the time to explain to Diana about the unblockable killing curse. They knew from their brief testing that Diana was somewhat resistant to magic — a stunning spell barely had any effect on her — but they doubted that they'd be so lucky with darker spells, and especially the Unforgivables.

Several more killing curses struck the columns, sending sharp bits of stone everywhere. Rose looked longingly at the doors behind them, but she knew she couldn't abandon the injured goblin, and Diana certainly wouldn't.

"Give me a distraction," Diana hissed as she rushed out from behind cover.

Hermione banished the stone rubble in the direction of the Death Eaters while Rose cast several explosive curses at their feet, sending up more stone and dust. In a single motion, Diana dove and rolled, grabbing the dead goblin's short sword and shield in the process. She rose to a standing position on the far side of the bank's front steps, now fully armed. She threw the goblin sword at their attackers, cleanly severing the arm of the Death Eater who'd cast the first killing curse.

He looked down in mute horror at the bleeding stump of his wand arm as he collapsed to his knees. Then the screaming began. The other two were only slightly less shocked, though it didn't take them long to recover and begin casting curses again, including more killing curses, almost all of which were focused on Diana.

Before the Death Eaters could wear her down, spells started coming at them from a new direction, and Rose realized that it was Tonks, who had taken cover in a store entrance ten meters away. This forced the two attackers to split their attention, allowing Rose and Hermione to work together against the one who was trying so hard to kill Diana.

 _"Bombarda!"_

 _"Confringo!"_

Stone chips sprayed up all around the Death Eaters, forcing them to move away from Gringotts.

 _"Confringo!"_ Rose's spell blasted the wand arm which the Death Eater had instinctively raised against the flying debris.

 _"Incarcerous!"_ Hermione's spell followed immediately after, shooting out magical ropes that sent the Death Eater tumbling to the ground in a heap.

"Alecto!" cried the other attacker as he turned to look at his companion, giving Tonks the opportunity she needed.

 _"Stupefy! Incarcerous!"_

Now both were down, just in time for more aurors to arrive.

"Robards, Jones!" snapped a grey-haired woman with numerous scars and an eyepatch. "Secure the prisoners and see to the wounded. Auror Tonks, report!"

"Ma'am, I arrived to see these three Death Eaters attacking people on the steps of Gringotts. I assisted as best I could from behind. One Death Eater was already badly injured before I could get into position, and a second was incapacitated just before I stunned and bound the third."

"Why in Merlin's name would they attack Gringotts?" asked one of the aurors.

"I think they were attacking me, actually," Rose said as she stepped forward.

"Rose Potter?" the older woman asked. "It seems we only ever encounter each other in difficult circumstances."

"Ma'am?"

"I suppose you may not remember me — we only exchanged a few words at your trial last year. I'm Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE."

"Oh!" Rose exclaimed, finally recognizing her. "Sorry, but, uh, yeah, I was rather distracted at the time."

"Quite understandable," Bones said as she looked around the scene, then focused on the people standing to either side of Rose. "And you two are?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Diana."

"Just Diana?" Bones asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"It's complicated."

"Yes, well, it seems that we have quite a few 'complicated' things going on here." Bones said. "You're an American, aren't you?" Diana nodded. "And that complicates things even further. I'd like it if you'd all come to the Ministry with me."

"We're not in any trouble, are we?" Diana asked.

"No, not at all. You need to be officially interviewed about this incident anyway, and it will give me a chance to talk to you about some things." She paused to glance around at the growing crowd of people which had gathered, their whispering increasing by the minute. Considering how many were pointing at Rose, it wasn't hard to guess what they were saying. She turned back and added, "It might also be a good idea to get off the street."

Rose noticed the onlookers and quickly agreed. "Will we have to deal with Fudge?"

Bones' lips twitched. "I'll see what I can do to save you from that."

"Excuse me," came a voice, and when they turned they found a well-dressed goblin behind them. "I was informed that the three of you protected our injured guard while you," he looked at Diana, "used the deceased goblin's sword to... disarm one attacker."

"Yes, we did," Diana answered. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," he replied, then snapped his fingers. Another goblin approached, carrying a bloody sword from where it had been retrieved on the street. "Because of your actions, you have earned the dead warrior's weapon."

Diana looked carefully at it, then back up at the goblin. "Is it still the case that a fallen warrior's family receives their weapons?" When the goblin nodded, she bowed and continued, "Then I thank you, but I must respectfully decline. I would not take his family's inheritance from them — it would feel too much like stealing." She then presented him with the shield, which she was still carrying. "Here, I return this so it, too, can be passed along as it should be."

The goblin seemed satisfied as he accepted the shield and handed it over to his companion. "Yes, perhaps this is not the weapon for you after all. I am pleased to see that Goldsack was correct in his report about your meeting with him." He waved one hand, sending the other goblin scurrying off with the dead one's gear. "I look forward to speaking with you again." At that, he gave a quick bow himself before leaving.

They turned back to find Bones eyeing them with undisguised curiosity. "Complicated indeed," she murmured.

* * *

 **Ministry of Magic, London.**

They were each given to a different auror to be interviewed about the incident, and once done they were all ushered into Madam Bones' office, where she was waiting for them.

"Before we get started," she said as she looked through the files she'd been given when they came in, "I'd like to thank you, Miss Potter, for teaching Defense to some of your classmates last term. Susan tells me that it helped her a great deal with her OWL exam."

"It wasn't a big deal—" Rose tried to say, but she was immediately cut off.

" _I'd_ say it was a big deal. Our home was attacked by Death Eaters earlier this summer, and her help was crucial in keeping us alive until auror reinforcements arrived. As it was, I needed nearly a month in St. Mungo's to recover."

"Oh, I had no idea!" Rose exclaimed, now understanding why she hadn't recognized the scars and eyepatch.

"So, it's true that you weren't in the country," Bones observed. "You couldn't have been here and not heard about that attack. We were lucky that we only had to deal with several of his veterans. I shudder to think of what might have happened had You-Know-Who come himself." She paused when she opened the third file, then looked up at Diana. "My auror records that you still refused to give a last name in your interview. Mind telling me why?"

Diana looked questioningly at Rose, who nodded. "Because my full name is Diana Potter-Black, though I'm going by Diana Black in most situations."

The head of the DMLE frowned in confusion. "Potter-Black? I didn't think you had any living relatives — not in the Potter line, at least. And why Black?"

"I don't have any Potter relatives," Rose admitted. "Diana is my wife."

Bones' eyebrows shot into her hair as she leaned back heavily in her seat. "Wife?" she finally asked. "So... you were in America, then?" Rose and Diana nodded. "That explains the accent. But... married? Merlin, this is going to complicate things horribly. And what about Black?"

"Sirius Black was my godfather," Rose said. "My _innocent_ godfather. I came to the Ministry at the end of last term thinking I needed to rescue him, but it was a trap and he had to come rescue me instead. He never got a trial — not a real one at least — and Fudge had been trying to murder him."

Bones raked a hand across her face and sighed. "Maybe you'd better start from the beginning. First, tell me why you think Black was innocent, and then the full story of why you were in the Ministry in the Spring."

"Weren't you given a report on that?" Hermione asked.

"No, Dumbledore has blocked every attempt I've made to talk to those involved, and all Fudge cares about is that damned prophecy." Something seemed to occur to her then. "If you think he was trying to murder your innocent godfather, then there's no way you'll want to work with him the way he hopes, is there?"

"When hell freezes over," Rose growled, and Diana squeezed her arm in an attempt to calm her.

"This is turning out even worse than I'd thought," the older woman muttered as she set up a special quill to record their words. "Why don't you start from the beginning, then." And they did, telling her all about their encounter with Sirius Black in third year. They skipped over how they broke the law to free him, as well as their interactions with him since then, moving immediately to Rose's visions, their trip to the Ministry, and the ensuing fight.

Bones skimmed the transcript once they were done. "I know you glossed over a few things," she said without looking up, "but I won't press. I can see now why you think Black is innocent." She set the parchment down and eyed the two young witches carefully. "You've made some risky decisions, though. I'd take you to task for them, but I'm not your mother." Despite the apparent reprieve, they squirmed a bit under her relentless gaze.

She turned then to look at Diana. "The same goes for you. I can't say that I understand or approve of two witches marrying — especially when one is technically underaged! — but we have bigger issues to deal with. All of Wizarding Britain is in an uproar over that damned prophecy. More and more people are demanding that Miss Potter be forced to do something about You-Know-Who, once and for all."

"They're afraid," Diana noted. "Fear can cause people to do many irrational and even terrible things."

"And do you—" Rose asked, but Bones immediately shook her head.

"Absolutely not! I think it's absurd for people to place all their hopes on the shoulders of one sixteen-year-old witch! Even if the most direct interpretation of the prophecy is true, and you're the only one who can vanquish You-Know-Who, that still wouldn't justify the calls to send you out to do battle with him — not with how little training and experience you have. And on top of that, nothing in the prophecy says that you're destined to face him alone! It's _our_ job normally to deal with criminals and Dark Lords, so _we_ should be the ones tasked with leading the efforts, not you."

"How many people here share that sentiment?" Diana asked.

"Not many," Bones conceded. "And some only pretend to agree. Fudge, for example, talks a lot about getting you to work with the Ministry, but that's only so he can gain politically from being associated with you, not because he wants to commit the Ministry's resources to the fight."

"So what is your plan?" Diana asked.

"Internally, I'm doing what I can without Fudge's knowledge or approval," Bones said. "I won't be able to accomplish as much as I'd like, but I hope that by the time I need to do more, we'll have better leadership, one way or another."

"And what are your plans for me?" Rose asked.

"Nothing that you're unwilling to do," Bones said. "I don't want to force you into anything, and I certainly don't want you getting in our way. If the time comes that you can contribute, I hope you will. Until then, we can't exactly ignore the prophecy — I'm sure You-Know-Who is taking it seriously. So I'd like to assign you protection. Unfortunately, I've yet to come up with a good way to do that. I can't assign aurors to Hogwarts without Dumbledore's approval, and I'm not sure I can spare them anyway."

Both Rose and Hermione immediately looked to Diana.

"Is there something I need to know?" Bones asked.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I already have protection," Rose explained. "We haven't figured out how to get her into the castle yet. And we're running out of time, actually," she added, a worried look crossing her features.

Bones eyed Diana more critically. "I would of course expect you to protect your spouse, but why do you think you're sufficient protection against all those who mean her harm? I'm not merely talking about Death Eaters, but also those who would try to sacrifice Rose in an effort to fulfill the prophecy. I'll admit, the initial reports make it sound like you acted competently outside Gringotts, but..."

Diana hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a piece of parchment which she handed over.

"Is this genuine?" Bones asked in shock.

"It's an official copy from Gringotts."

"I... I thought your people were a myth," she said, looking up. "And your training?"

"I have extensive training in all manner of combat arts. There are few on this planet who can truly stand against me in a fight."

"That explains how you were able to resist three Death Eaters without using a wand. I'm curious why you didn't kill that Death Eater when you had the chance."

"I abhor killing," Diana explained. "I won't hesitate to kill if I'm convinced that I have to, but my standards for having to are high." She looked meaningfully at Rose before continuing, "Your Voldemort certainly seems to qualify, and I have no doubt that a number of Death Eaters will as well before this is over. But I won't kill simply because it's convenient to do so."

Bones leaned back in her chair for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then abruptly she stood and strode over to a shelf where she pulled out a large, ancient-looking tome. She spent some time flipping through it, stopping every so often to read something before moving on.

"Aha!" she finally exclaimed, tapping one page with a finger. "I knew it!" She looked up at the other three and said, "I agree, you'd probably be a better guard than anyone I could send; and while you may not have a way into the castle, I do. There was a time when security for witches and wizards was much more tenuous, so wizarding leaders assigned security to Hogwarts. This was back before the Ministry even existed and was part of the practices and traditions which were automatically incorporated into Ministry law. This particular mandate has never been repealed."

"So you can assign her to the castle yourself?" Hermione asked.

Bones nodded. "You'll be the Castle Warden, responsible for overseeing all security. The salary is small, I'm afraid, since nothing about the position has been updated in several centuries..."

"It's alright, I don't need to be paid," Diana said.

"Oh, but you do," Bones insisted. "Being paid means you're an employee, which gives you legal authority to act. It also establishes the chain of command, which in this case means you're answerable to me and me alone. Like I said, the parameters of the position haven't been updated in centuries, so the modern Ministry bureaucratic structure is bypassed entirely. I'd get you diplomatic immunity too, if I could, but I doubt I'd be able to get that through the relevant Ministry departments without a fight."

"So Dumbledore can't stand in the way, and Fudge can't interfere?" Rose surmised.

"Exactly," Bones said. "Only the director of the DMLE can give you orders or fire you — and the only orders I'd give are the ones I know you'll be following regardless. You'll have to work with the Headmaster, of course, but he won't be your superior."

Diana looked pleased at that. "Very well, I accept."

"Good. It will take a couple of days for me to finalize the parchment work for this — there isn't anything standardized, obviously — but in the meantime you can consider yourself the Hogwarts Castle Warden." Bones hesitated then. "I'm not sure if it's any of my business, but do you intend to register your marriage officially with the Ministry?"

Rose shook her head. "We're not going to hide it or lie about it, but we thought that trying to make it official would cause more trouble than it's worth."

"That's probably true. It would force people to react, not to mention give them openings to interfere on an official basis. Until then, all they can do is complain or spread rumors, which they'll do regardless."

"Will we be facing any charges from what happened today?" Diana asked.

Bones sighed. "Based on what I've read so far, you shouldn't, no."

"But?"

"But... given that Rose was involved, I can see Fudge or one of his lackeys trying to use it as leverage over her." She frowned for a moment before continuing. "It won't be easy, but I'm going to have to bury some aspects of this incident to keep your involvement quiet for as long as possible." She then turned to look at Diana. "That will only keep Fudge's nose out of this, and only for a while. You can assume that sympathizers to You-Know-Who saw what happened and will report back. Even if you weren't going to work at the castle, he'll know about you. There's no turning back now — you're committed."

"I was committed the moment we were married," Diana replied firmly, and Bones gave an approving nod.

"Madame Bones, is there any chance that Sirius could be pardoned? Posthumously, I mean?" Rose asked, trying to sound as offhand as possible.

Bones' brow furrowed. "Perhaps. There would need to be an inquiry. If the evidence for his guilt is as thin as you say, and if he never had a trial, then a posthumous pardon is a possibility. I can't promise anything, though. We have too many other priorities right now, and Fudge probably won't see any political advantage in it."

"I know. I'd... I wouldn't want his name to go down in history as a traitor," Rose said, regret tingeing her voice. "He died to protect me, after all."

"I understand, and I'll see what I can do. Now, let's get you out of the Ministry before Fudge learn you're here."

* * *

 **Grimmauld Place, London.**

It was late afternoon by the time they finished their shopping and arrived back at Grimmauld Place, and they were all tired from the long day. Diana turned out to be as much of a bookworm as Hermione, and the two spent a lot of time bonding over books in Flourish & Blotts, much to Rose's chagrin. Madam Malkin agreed to create a couple of new robes in the same style as the white one Diana was wearing, a modified toga that incorporated elements of both styles of dress and which was reminiscent of Hippolyta's royal toga. She also created several that would provide Diana with greater freedom of movement in a physical fight, something that wasn't at all common in the wizarding community. Towards the end they visited Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, where they chatted with the twins, tried out some of their joke products, and kept a close eye on Malfoy when he was spotted walking by outside.

Their enjoyment of the day was brought to a screeching halt when they emerged from the floo to find Albus Dumbledore standing there, his expression stern.

"I believe I left strict instructions that you were not to leave headquarters. It is much too dangerous out there right now."

"In case you've forgotten, Headmaster, I'm an adult, and free to do as I wish," Diana said, meeting his gaze directly. "I do not shrink from danger, nor will I consent to being caged."

"And I'm married, so I can also do as I wish," Rose added, causing Dumbledore's frown to deepen.

"And while I may still be a student," Hermione put in quickly, distracting the old wizard, "I'm less than a month from my seventeenth birthday. Plus, my parents have _not_ forbidden me from going to Diagon Alley."

"Nevertheless, your actions today were as foolish as they were dangerous, as demonstrated by the fact that you opened yourselves up to attack."

"An attack which we survived," Rose countered.

"It was a risk, but not an unnecessary one," Diana said. "We had business with Gringotts that we alone could conduct. We might have returned immediately afterwards, but that was when the attack occurred, and it was unlikely that there would be a second."

"Be that as it may, I and the Order have gone to great effort to ensure your safety. Instead of taking advantage of that safety, however, you have shown a penchant for running off — first to America when the summer began, and then to Diagon Alley as soon as you returned. I cannot stress enough how irresponsible that was. Perhaps it's for the best that the Quidditch captaincy for Gryffindor had to go to Miss Bell when we couldn't locate you."

Diana noted how Rose stiffened at that news, so she stepped forward to force Dumbledore to focus on her instead. "And in the time that you accuse her of being irresponsible, has she not proven to be at least as safe as she has ever been in your school?"

"Hogwarts is the safest school—"

"The same school where she's nearly died several times a year, every year, and often through no fault of her own?"

"It is true that we've had more problems recently than I'd like, but the fact is she has been well taken care of. All the students have been, in fact. Even if someone doubted the protections throughout the castle, my own presence has a well-known deterrent effect. You, on the other hand, won't be with her come September, so she won't be able to simply rely on your help. I advise you both to consider that carefully the next time you decide to throw caution to the winds." He turned stiffly and strode away.

"Why didn't you—" Rose started to say, but she stopped when Diana held up a hand. With a gesture the Amazon invited the two witches to follow her, and only once they were in the couple's shared bedroom did she speak again.

"I assume you wanted to know why I didn't say anything about my appointment as Warden?" Both girls nodded. "For one thing, I don't technically have it yet. I know Madam Bones assured me that it would happen, but I wouldn't feel comfortable announcing it when it's still being worked on."

"That would give him more time to find a way to interfere, too," Rose said thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Diana agreed. "It might be best to only confront him with the situation once it's too late for him to overturn it. I don't normally approve of keeping secrets like this, especially from someone who deserves to know what's going on, but in this case I think it's probably for the best. He'll learn the truth soon enough."

"Like... maybe just before the Opening Feast?" Rose suggested, a grin breaking across her face.

"The thought had occurred to me," Diana admitted, trying and failing to look innocent.

"Oh, sweet Merlin," Hermione muttered. "Now there's two of you!"

* * *

That night at dinner they got an earful from Mrs. Weasley about being irresponsible and running off into danger, but she was shocked into silence when she heard how Diana had stood tall on the steps of Gringotts, protecting Hermione and Rose from the spells of Death Eaters.

"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Those cuff things of yours deflect spells?

"I wasn't willing to try them when I had the killing curse cast at me, but they deflected everything else."

"She was pretty incredible," Tonks chimed in. "I only saw the end, mind you, but she was moving faster than the eye could follow. Those Death Eaters were in as much danger from their own deflected spells as their targets were."

"Amazing!"

"That's putting it mildly," Rose commented.

"Oh, you poor dear!" Mrs. Weasley cried as she bustled around the table and pulled a surprised Diana into a hug. "Thank you so much for doing that! You must really love Rose to do something so brave! Both of them, in fact!" She pulled back slightly and fixed the younger woman with a stern gaze. "And risky, too! You simply _must_ be more careful!"

Only then did she seem to notice the shocked stares she was getting from around the room.

"What?" she said a bit defensively. "She's only just gotten married — she should think about how Rose would feel if she got hurt!"

This acknowledgment surprised Diana even more than the hug. Mrs. Weasley had been rather cool towards the two of them ever since their announcement — not overtly hostile, but not particularly friendly, either. Risking her life for Rose had apparently raised her considerably in Molly's regard. As overbearing as the woman could be, Diana was glad to see that she at least had her heart in the right place.

"Can anyone use bracelets like those?" Ginny asked, eyeing Diana's forearms.

"It takes a great deal of training to be able to use them effectively," Diana said, "but they are only worn by members of my community. They are a symbol of when we were once enslaved and a reminder about the importance of fighting for freedom for everyone."

"Well said," Mr. Weasley declared. "That's what this war with You-Know-Who is about, after all: freedom from domination and enslavement."

"That makes me even more relieved that you decided to go with Rose," Mrs. Weasley commented as she waved her wand to bring additional serving dishes floating over, causing the table to groan under the weight of it all. "I still don't like it when you get yourself into danger, but I feel better knowing that you're protecting each other."

"Is something wrong?" Diana asked softly when she saw a sour expression pass across Rose's face.

"I don't feel like I did any protecting," she replied. "You did all the work while Hermione and I had to cower behind you."

"That's not true at all!" Diana insisted. "The two of you helped a great deal — first by shielding the goblin so I didn't have to worry about him, then by casting spells yourself, ensuring that they couldn't focus entirely on me."

"So we were merely a distraction?" Rose summarized, looking even less happy. "I think that might be worse than how we performed in the Ministry. If I can't fight a couple of Death Eaters..."

"You going to start up the DA again?" Ron asked, preventing Diana from responding. "We could all improve over how we did in the Ministry."

"Which you will _not_ be doing again!" Mrs. Weasley shouted from the other end of the table.

"I hadn't thought about it," Rose answered. "If we have a good professor, I don't suppose it would be needed, would it?"

Ron shrugged. "I'd come, even if the professor this year is good. You taught us more practical stuff than we ever got with any of the other teachers, even Professor Lupin."

"I guess if there's enough interest, I might. What do you think?" Rose looked to Diana.

"Given the threat that exists for everyone here, more practice would be a good idea," Diana said. "You never know when people will be forced to fight for their lives. Look at how much your lessons helped Madam Bones and her niece." She didn't add that she'd be happy to help, since most of those at the table had no idea that she'd be at Hogwarts in the first place.

"You got to talk to Madam Bones?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Almost no one has been able to see her personally since the attack, not even after she left St. Mungo's. The aurors have been especially protective of her."

"Not only did we talk to her," Hermione answered, "but we talked to her about _you_ , Sirius."

"How so?"

"She's willing to look into getting you posthumously pardoned, but she couldn't make any promises."

"They're obviously a bit preoccupied right now," Rose added.

"That's great news!" Mr. Weasley pronounced, clapping a dumbfounded Sirius on the back. "Maybe this will be what finally changes things for you!"

"Is she going to do it?" Sirius asked hoarsely.

"She said she'd try," Rose replied. "All we can do now is wait and watch."

"Dumbledore said he'd do something for you," Diana pointed out. "Maybe you can give him a little push, now that someone else is looking into the matter?"

"Yeah, I might do that," Sirius said distractedly.

"I suppose I'll have time to do the DA again, won't I, since I won't be Quidditch Captain," Rose groused, sounding suddenly angry and depressed.

"I forgot to ask about that, but what is Quidditch?" Diana said.

Dead silence fell around the room as they all stared at her in astonishment and pity. All except for Hermione, who rolled her eyes, apparently having long given up the argument.

"Rose didn't tell you about Quidditch?" Ginny asked, scandalized.

"It's only the greatest game in the world!" Ron exclaimed. Then he, Ginny, and Rose began to describe the intricacies of flying dozens of yards in the air on thin sticks of wood while avoiding cannonballs weighing over 100 pounds each and travelling at eighty miles per hour.

"Are you _insane?"_ Diana demanded once the explanations had been made. "I'm all for sports competitions, and I love testing my skills against others, but the sport has to at least make sense. And not involve equipment that tries to murder the players!"

"Thank you!" Hermione said. "I'm glad someone else here has some sense!"

"I just catch the snitch — I'm not involved in most of that," Rose assured her, waving a dismissive hand.

"Not that that's stopped you from getting injured every year," Hermione muttered under her breath, but Diana heard her quite clearly.

"And if catching the snitch wins the game, what's the point of the other players?" Diana asked. "It's as if there are two entirely different games being played on the same field, and you all just try to avoid running into each other too much!"

"No it isn't! The strategy is actually complicated," Rose insisted. She, Ron, and Ginny proceeded to explain different Quidditch tactics, which devolved into a debate over the best tactics and equipment, which eventually devolved into Ron arguing why the Chudley Cannons was the best team ever. As usual.

"Does that game make any sense to you?" Diana asked Hermione once it was clear that the others had become lost to their disputes.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it never has, but you'll not get through to anyone here. Wizarding Britain is Quidditch-mad. Still, it makes Rose happy, and that's what's important. I only go to the games to watch her, even if I'm constantly terrified that she'll get hurt again."

Diana sighed and looked back at the argument, wondering how difficult it would be for her to watch her wife fly around on a broom while chased by cannonballs — to watch, and not interfere. She could tell how much flying meant to Rose, and she of all people understood how liberating the feeling of flying could be.

But really... cannonballs?


	8. Opening Bets

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Women Like We_ by fembuck. Diana Prince takes a walk with Glamora Treat, one of the Holiday Girls, and they discover far more about each other than either expected. This delightful one-shot is based on the excellent series "The Legend of Wonder Woman" by Renae De Liz (which probably influenced the 2017 movie in some ways). If you like femslash stories, you've surely seen fics by fembuck — she's an excellent writer, and this fic is a good example of her skills.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 08 - Opening Bets**

 **Saturday, August 31, 1996, Late Night. Grimmauld Place, London.**

"Can't sleep?"

Hermione jumped at the unexpected voice, nearly spilling her tea. "Oh! Oh, hi, Diana. I always have trouble sleeping before the first day of school."

"Nerves?" the Amazon asked as she poured herself a cup and sat next to the girl at the kitchen table.

"Excitement," Hermione admitted with a sheepish grin.

"I should have guessed."

"What about you? I didn't expect anyone else to be up at this hour."

"I often have trouble sleeping the night before a battle."

"Battle?" Hermione frowned in confusion. "Are you expecting a fight tomorrow?"

"There are many kinds of battles," Diana explained. "It will be the first time I face the school as the Castle Warden. I will be surprising the Headmaster and school staff with my presence and position in the castle." She paused for a moment as she sipped her tea. "Plus, while I doubt there is any real danger, I cannot ignore the fact that a train full of students is a tempting target for a terrorist. That's one reason why I wanted to ride with you."

"I hadn't thought about any of that, but I guess you're right," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Prayer usually helps, but I've been somewhat distracted lately. I thought I'd try green tea instead."

Hermione blinked. "Prayer?"

"To my deities," Diana explained. "Mostly to Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, though I'm careful not to ignore the others. They get rather offended if they think you're snubbing them."

"The Greek gods? I didn't think anyone worshipped them anymore. I mean, they're simply myths, right?"

"Oh, they're quite real, I assure you. I've seen them, and spoken personally with them on more than one occasion."

It was a near thing, but Hermione managed not to spit her tea all over the table. "Real?" she asked, coughing. "Really real? You've actually _spoken_ to them?"

"Of course. It is to them that we Amazons owe our existence, and they gave me life. I owe everything to them, and I know that they love and want the best for me. It's why we obey them."

"Did they tell you to come here? Is that why you're with Rose?"

Diana laughed. "No, they don't command my every action. And if they tried, I'd no longer follow them — that isn't the behavior of someone who cares about you, after all. I don't blindly follow them, and I do question and challenge them when I have reason to think they are wrong. But because I love them, I give them the benefit of the doubt and generally follow where they lead."

"If they really exist, should I... I mean, shouldn't everyone...?"

"No, not at all," Diana said, shaking her head. "I know they miss having the worshippers they once did, but they would never force themselves on anyone, nor would they be happy with followers who simply obeyed out of fear." Diana paused as she took another sip of tea. "No, it would only be worth your doing if you found a genuine connection there, especially a personal connection with one of the gods or goddesses. Then and only then would submitting to their authority over you benefit you both."

Silence fell between them, and Hermione took the opportunity to change the subject. "I, uh, keep meaning to say something to you... not that it will matter so much anymore..." She trailed off awkwardly as her cheeks went pink, but she forged gamely on. "You probably aren't aware of it, but whatever silencing charms Sirius had on your room have... um, failed."

"Silencing charms?"

Hermione's blush deepened further. "Yeah, charms to, uh, you know, keep noise from escaping your room."

"Oh?" Diana asked, then a moment later realization dawned. "Oh...!"

"Yeah, oh. I now have absolutely no doubts about why Rose is fast asleep right now."

Diana grinned, but her grin faded when she saw that Hermione continued to blush. "You don't have to be so embarrassed about it."

"Sorry. I'm not... well, I guess I am. It's just not something I'm used to talking about."

"Yes, that is one problem I've noticed with Patriarch's World: people get inexplicably embarrassed about something so natural and wonderful." Diana sighed. "On Themyscira, where my people live, we have sex explained to us at a young age. And I was younger than either you or Rose are now when I first experienced the pleasures of the bedroom."

"I guess Amazons have less restrictive attitudes and rules?"

Diana shrugged. "In some ways. Casual sex is frowned upon, except for Diana's Day, a celebration of the Moon Goddess and sisterhood." She paused for a long moment, a wistful look on her face; then she shook herself and went on. "In general, we Amazons consider sex important enough that it should be limited to when someone is in or entering a serious, committed relationship. There's no shame associated with sex outside of marriage, so long as the couple or group are serious about each other."

Hermione goggled at her. "Groups?" she said weakly.

"Couples are most common, but there exist both long-term relationships and even marriages with more than two. Patriarchal concerns about the legitimacy of children do not limit us like they do those of you living in Patriarch's World. We are able to follow our hearts wherever love leads us. Sometimes our hearts lead us in more than one direction, and love is too important to be suppressed by pretending that one of those directions doesn't exist or isn't appropriate. After all, love is not a limited resource that dwindles as it is shared."

"I suppose that makes sense," Hermione conceded. Nevertheless, her eyes narrowed. "I do expect you to stay faithful to Rose, though."

"Oh?" Diana asked, her expression neutral.

"Absolutely," Hermione said, sitting up a bit straighter and looking hard at the Amazon. "Because if you aren't faithful, if you hurt her, I'll... I'll..."

"You'll _what?"_ Diana said in a low voice, now almost looming over the young witch.

"I... I'm not sure what I'll do, but you won't like it," Hermione insisted stubbornly, refusing to be cowed. "I haven't been called the smartest witch of my age for nothing. Even as a fourth year, I knew more spells than most seventh years. If you hurt her, I'll find you — I can promise you that. I've faced far worse than you for her sake."

Diana's stern visage continued to stare down at her for a long moment, then abruptly it morphed into a broad smile. "Good," she said in satisfaction.

"Good?"

"Yes, good," Diana said as she calmly finished her tea and rose to leave. "You stood up to me to defend Rose. That's what I like to see. It's little wonder that she thinks so highly of you."

"Oh," Hermione replied, taken aback.

As Diana passed behind her chair, she stopped and wrapped her arms around Hermione, giving her a warm hug. "Thank you," she said.

"For standing up to you?"

"For putting Rose first, yes, but not just for that. Thank you for being such a good friend to her. She depends greatly on you."

"Not so much anymore," Hermione said a little sadly. "She has you now."

Diana pulled back and shifted to the side so she could stare at the witch, clearly trying to read something in her face. After a moment, she reached out and squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "Don't be so sure about that. Just because she has me in her life doesn't mean her feelings about you suddenly changed." With those words, she left, and Hermione sat alone for quite a bit longer, staring at her cold tea.

* * *

Back upstairs, Diana tried to slip quietly into bed without disturbing Rose, but as soon as she'd pulled the sheet back over her, Rose rolled over and latched onto her side. "Where'd you go?" she mumbled. "Missed you."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Then you shouldn't have left. I noticed as soon as you were out of the bed."

"Sorry," Diana said again as she pulled Rose even closer.

The silence grew.

"Everything is going to change tomorrow, isn't it?" Rose asked into the darkness.

"Some things will, but not everything."

"We're not going to have as much time together."

"No, I'm afraid we won't."

"This past month has been great. Best I've ever had, I think."

Diana smiled and began stroking Rose's hair. "It has for me, too, but we have to dive back into the real world eventually. You have to get your education, and who knows how much time my job will take up. Hermione's book suggests there's been no organized defense of the castle in centuries."

Rose raised her head off of Diana's chest and stared at her in the dark. "But you'll still make time for me, right?"

"Of course," Diana replied, shifting her hand to cup Rose's cheek. "As much time as my responsibilities allow. You're why I'm going there, after all."

Rose didn't say anything for a long while. Finally she whispered, "I don't want tomorrow morning to come. Would you... would you make love to me again? Make the night last a bit longer?"

Diana smiled and rolled them both over, covering Rose's much smaller body with her own. "I'll make the night last as long as you desire."

* * *

 **Sunday, September 1, 1996. Grimmauld Place, London.**

"Ron! Ginny! You'd better be packed by now!" Mrs. Weasley hollered up the stairs even as Rose was bringing her own trunk down, trying not to stumble in her weariness. It didn't help that her trunk was a lot heavier than usual, since she'd had to squeeze Diana's stuff in there as well. Her wife couldn't sneak onto the train and surprise Dumbledore at Hogwarts if the entire Order saw her traveling with her luggage.

"Oh, good, dear — I'm glad to see that _somebody_ around here is packed," Mrs. Weasley said warmly, and Rose smiled in return.

"I know better than to try to pack at the last minute," Rose replied, stifling the yawn that tried to escape as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Maybe you could try teaching my children that," Mrs. Weasley said with a sigh. "Then again, it probably wouldn't work. Just leave your trunk in the hall — there's breakfast ready for all of you in the kitchen. Help yourself."

Rose did as instructed, and soon she was joined by Mr. Weasley, Sirius, Diana, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron as they all got their fill of Mrs. Weasley's cooking. Sometime during the meal, Hermione took Rose's hand and firmly stuffed a small piece of folded parchment into it.

"What's this?" Rose asked around a mouthful of toast.

"A list of silencing charms!" Hermione muttered under her breath, causing Rose to blush. Ginny coughed.

"Oops," Diana said softly, not even bothering to hide her sleepy grin.

They were finishing up when they heard the floo. A few moments later Tonks came stumbling into the kitchen, carrying a stack of newspapers. "I can't stay," she said in a rush, breathing hard. "I'm still on duty, but when I saw this I had to bring it over."

"What is it?" Mr. Weasley asked, reaching for one of the papers Tonks had tossed on the table.

"I'm so sorry," she said, giving Rose and Diana a pained look before dashing back out, exiting via the floo.

"Oh, dear," Mr. Weasley said worriedly, and in a moment everyone was grabbing for a copy.

 **ROSE POTTER: THE GIRL WHO LOVES GIRLS?**

 _ **by Rita Skeeter**_

 _Everyone has been wondering where Rose Potter is and why she hasn't fulfilled the prophecy by vanquishing You-Know-Who and once again saving Wizarding Britain from terror. Even the Ministry has been tight-lipped on her whereabouts. Well, this intrepid reporter has gotten the exclusive scoop on what she's been doing and, more importantly, who she's been doing it with! In news that I'm sure will shock and sadden our entire community, earlier this summer Rose Potter fled to America, where she married an older woman!_

 _Yes, it's true: marriage between witches and between wizards is legal in the colonies. They've grossly abused the independence they gained when we dumped them, something our Ministry should seriously think about rescinding, lest they continue to infect others around the world with their bizarre ideas. It may even be possible that this is all a nefarious plot to distract and disable the Girl Who Lived, thus aiding He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in his evil plans!_

 _As far as I have been able to determine, there's been no investigation into whether or not poor Rose was seduced, potioned, cursed, or blackmailed into this scandalous relationship, but I'm sure one will take place. A national icon like Rose Potter needs to be protected, not simply rented out to the next colonial slag who comes along._

 _And who is this American who appears to have lured the Girl Who Lived into her degenerate lifestyle? That's a much deeper mystery. Now going by the name of Diana Potter-Black (because poor Rose has been forced to inherit the estate of notorious mass-murderer Sirius Black), all we've been able to find out for sure is that she's an American. Given how she was recently spotted using muggle fighting techniques outside of Gringotts, putting dozens of innocent shoppers at risk, we all have reason to be concerned with Rose's safety in her presence._

 _As bad as it is that she's married to a woman, the idea that she might be married to a dangerous American is too much. I shudder to think at what vile things this woman does to Rose in the privacy of their bedroom, but she has to be stopped before it's too late! Hopefully there is a good, decent, upstanding wizard at Hogwarts this year who will take Rose in hand and show her what a proper, loving relationship is really all about. Once she meets the right wizard, I'm sure she'll never give that American floozy a second thought._

 _You can be certain, though, that I will stay on the case and will bring you all the juiciest updates as soon as I discover them!_

"That... that... that horrid woman!" Hermione exclaimed, aghast.

"Looks like she's no longer taking your threats seriously," Rose said, more calmly than she would have expected. As awful as the article was, she couldn't quite bring herself to be surprised. "Probably should have seen this coming."

"Threats?" Diana asked.

"She's an illegal animagus," Rose answered, since Hermione was too upset to speak. "A water beetle, to be specific. We found out, and Hermione promised not to tell the DMLE so long as Skeeter didn't write... well, write her usual sort of hit piece with us as targets anymore."

"So this is typical of her?" Diana asked. "How can she get away with it?"

"Wizarding Britain doesn't have any libel laws, apparently," Rose said glumly. "She can basically write whatever she wants, and we can't do a thing about it."

"Well, _I'm_ doing something," Hermione ground out. "I'm sending a letter to Madam Bones right now! Can I borrow Hedwig?"

"Sure," Rose said, and Hermione leapt from the table to find parchment and ink, returning a few moments later to start her letter.

"You don't sound enthusiastic about getting Skeeter back," Sirius observed.

Rose shrugged. "Somehow, I doubt it will work. I don't see her doing something like this unless she has a plan. Or protection."

"Revenge is a path that never leads you to where you hope it will," Diana noted, rubbing Rose's shoulder soothingly. "Will this cause problems for us?" Everyone around the table nodded.

"There's certainly no hiding your relationship now, that's for sure," Arthur said. "I know you didn't plan on explicitly concealing it, but this puts your marriage much more out in the open than it would have been before."

"It'll definitely be the talk of Hogwarts," Ron put in. "Everyone will have something to say about it. Mind you, they were going to talk about you anyway, Rose, so who knows if this'll make it worse." He made a show of looking cheerful. "At least it'll give them something other than the prophecy to talk about..."

"Something else to send Howlers about, too," Ginny added dejectedly.

"Ooh, that woman!" Molly exclaimed, her face darkening. "Anyone who is even remotely uncomfortable with... well, marriages like yours will likely be even more against them now."

"Which is pretty much everyone," Sirius concluded.

"Wish someone would squish her," Ginny muttered.

"How'd she find out, though?" Ron asked, frowning as he reread the article over Ginny's shoulder.

"She must have been spying, perhaps at the Ministry," Rose answered. "She might even have been in Madam Bones' office that day. It would certainly be a good place to get interesting stories."

Hermione's brow furrowed. "She didn't mention everything we discussed with Madam Bones, though."

"If she had, she'd have basically been admitting to spying on the Director of the DMLE," Arthur countered. "She's not that stupid. Amelia would come down hard on her if she thought Skeeter was spying on her. However, I doubt she was in there. Madam Bones would have all sorts of charms and spells in her office to prevent that sort of thing. No, I think she put this together based on the things you said outside the office. Who knows how long she was observing you and listening in?"

"Will you be OK with this?" Diana asked, pulling Rose closer in a sideways hug.

Rose sighed. "I guess I'll have to be. I knew this would blow up sooner or later — everything does for me. I just hoped that I'd have some peace and quiet for at least a little while at Hogwarts."

Diana leaned over to put her head against Rose's and held her tight.

* * *

 **Sunday, September 1, 1996. Hogwarts.**

"Great Hera! What are those?" Diana exclaimed as they exited the Hogwarts Express. Getting on under Rose's cloak had proven to be easy, and the trip itself hadn't been too terrible — few enough of the students had seen that morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ to be a bother. They hadn't even been visited by Malfoy and his goons. Now that they had arrived at the castle, however, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the word got out.

Rose followed her wife's shocked gaze. "Thestrals," she said simply.

"They're considered by some to be dark creatures because they can only be seen by someone who has witnessed death," Hermione explained. "But they're actually quite gentle."

"Oh," Diana said softly.

"Ginny and I can't see them," Ron said, sounding grateful.

"I'm glad I can't," Neville chimed in.

"Hello," said a waifish blonde who approached their group and began peering at Diana in a direct manner. "So, you're the one who's been helping Rose with her wrackspurt problem." She looked over at Rose for a minute before returning her focus to the Amazon. "She's doing better, but you're going to have to work harder to eliminate her infestation. It looks like you have some as well, so you'll need her help taking care of it, I think. Try being a bit noisier — that should help."

"That's Luna," Hermione said as the smaller witch climbed into one of the carriages. "She's... different. She's nice, but I've given up trying to understand her." She, Diana, and Rose followed Luna into the carriage while the rest of their friends caught the next one.

"I wonder if he knows you're here?" Rose asked as they neared the castle, and when Diana looked, she saw that the Headmaster was already standing outside the front doors.

"There's probably something on the Express that alerts him about unauthorized passengers," Hermione suggested.

"Mrs. Black," the Headmaster greeted her once they'd climbed out of the carriage. "I was sorry to see the article in the _Daily Prophet_ this morning. I had hoped that there would be more of a delay before the scandal broke. Nevertheless, I confess myself confused as to why you're here. You're much too old to be a student."

"That's because I work here now," Diana said as she pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it over. "Director Bones hired me to serve as the Hogwarts Castle Warden for the foreseeable future. I know this is short notice, but I hope you aren't inconvenienced too much."

Dumbledore's brow furrowed as he read the parchment, and his expression only deepened when he read it for the second and third time. "I can't even remember when this position was last filled..."

"At least seven hundred years, by Director Bones' reckoning. But given what's happening in your society, she thought that extra security would be a good idea."

Dumbledore nodded. "I can see her reasoning, though I can't say that I'm entirely in agreement with her choices." He looked up at her and was reminded that he did indeed have to look _up_ where she was concerned. "I'm sure you are quite capable, but your presence here will complicate a great many things, especially for Miss Potter. This morning's article by Ms. Skeeter surely made it clear that neither of you will be looked upon with any great fondness due to your relationship, but you being here will continually throw that in everyone's faces."

"Hiding who and what you are is something you do when you're ashamed, Headmaster," Diana said as she crossed her arms. "Neither of us are ashamed of our marriage, and perhaps if students here learn _that_ , they will also begin to realize that such relationships are not shameful."

"Perhaps, though I cannot in all honesty share your optimism." Dumbledore sighed as he looked down at the parchment again. "We will need to discuss your responsibilities, but my own responsibilities won't allow that at the moment. Can you make time after the conclusion of the Opening Feast?"

"Of course. Although this position does not answer to the Headmaster, I know that we will need to work together."

"Thank you, that's good to hear. I will see to it that a space is made for you at the Head Table. In the meantime, I need to take care of numerous matters before the Feast begins."

"What do you think?" Rose asked once Dumbledore had left.

"From what I've seen, he keeps a tight rein on his emotions and rarely allows anything truly negative to show. It's a skill I've often observed in politicians," Diana noted as they entered the castle. "Still, I would say he's unhappy, but resigned. Even so, I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone to contact the Ministry to see if there's any way to get rid of me." She could feel lots of eyes watching her, and she saw Rose's glance darting this way and that, probably trying to catch who was staring and what their expressions were.

"Don't worry about them," she said, putting her hand on Rose's shoulder. "You can't change their initial reactions. All you can do is try to influence them going forward."

"I know, I know," Rose responded. "The first step is to stand tall and not give anyone the impression that I'm embarrassed or ashamed of myself."

Diana nodded. "I know it's easy to talk about in advance and harder to do once the time comes, but it will get easier."

"If you say so. You'd think that with people giving me hostile stares for one thing or another every other year since I've been here, I'd be used to it by now. But I'm not."

"Watch her for me, will you?" Diana asked Hermione softly when they reached the point where they'd have to separate.

"Always," Hermione said with a smile as she took Rose's arm and led her to a spot at the Gryffindor table.

Diana paused for a moment and watched the two witches before finally making her way to the Head Table, where an older witch gestured for her to approach.

"You're Diana Potter-Black, I take it?" the woman asked.

Diana nodded. "Yes, though I've decided to generally go by Diana Black. I think it will make things easier."

"My name is Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration, Deputy Headmistress, and Head of Gryffindor House."

"Ah, yes — Rose speaks highly of you."

McGonagall appeared to be caught off-guard by the statement, but she recovered quickly. "Well... I'm pleased to hear that. The Headmaster informed me that you'd be joining us this year and that I should make room for you at our table."

"Yes, Director Bones wants me to take charge of security for the castle. And since Rose will be here all year anyway, I thought it would be a great opportunity to remain close to her."

"That's a rather significant responsibility for one who is — and forgive me for saying so — but for one who is so young. Are you qualified?"

"More than most. But I was raised to be a teacher and ambassador as much as a warrior."

"Indeed?" McGonagall replied, looking only slightly mollified. "Well, I sincerely hope you'll have more opportunity to use those other skills than the ones you were hired for. I've made a spot for you here. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be in place to greet the first years when Hagrid brings them across the lake." With a curt nod, she left, and Diana decided to sit.

* * *

The Opening Feast had proceeded much as Rose and her friends had described, and as expected Diana found herself the subject of both hostile and curious stares the entire time. She would have been the focus of attention regardless, given the position she was assuming, but it seemed that quite a few of the students had been made aware of her relationship with Rose by the time they'd entered the Great Hall — and those who hadn't were soon informed by their neighbors.

The biggest surprise was the announcement that Snape would be taking over as Defense professor while Potions would be taught by someone coming out of retirement, Horace Slughorn. Judging by the outcry across most of the hall, few of the students were happy.

Unfortunately for Diana, the seat which McGonagall had picked for her turned out to be next to that same Horace Slughorn, a corpulent wizard who had sent an invitation to Rose on the train which she'd ignored. Once he'd realized whom he was sitting beside, he spent the majority of the feast talking about how much he was looking forward to teaching Rose and how much his connections to former students might help her in the future.

Ambassadorial training or no, it was all Diana could do to remain polite to him, as several rather alarmingly bent utensils attested to by the end of the meal. Chagrined, she quickly straightened them when no one was looking.

Immediately after the Feast, Diana accompanied Dumbledore and the four Heads of House up to the Headmaster's office, where he poured everyone a small measure of brandy before getting down to business.

"As you all know by now, Mrs. Diana Potter-Black has been named Castle Warden for Hogwarts. This decision comes directly from Amelia Bones. What's more, Mrs. Potter-Black answers solely to Director Bones as well — I apparently have no direct authority over her."

This produced a small cacophony of surprised responses, though by far the loudest was from Snape.

"Preposterous! Haven't we already suffered enough from the Ministry imposing one unqualified woman on us? We scarcely even know her, yet we're supposed to trust her with the security of the school? And you don't even have any say in what she does?"

"I, for one, trust Amelia," Professor Sprout announced above the din. She turned to Diana and continued, "You may have heard what happened here last year with Madam Umbridge. It was not pleasant for anyone, to say the least. Some may try to tar you with the same brush, but she was imposed upon us by Minister Fudge, a man whose judgment is questionable on the best of days. But if Amelia trusts you with her niece's safety, then I'm willing to give you a chance."

Diana smiled and noticed that all of the objections immediately died after Sprout's pronouncement. Or almost all.

"You're prejudiced because Bones used to be in Hufflepuff," Snape said dismissively. "Regardless of what she thinks of this woman, the fact remains that the Headmaster shouldn't be excluded from decision-making when it comes to school security! This situation can't be legal!"

"I'm inclined to agree with you on your larger point, Severus," Dumbledore said, "but I must regretfully report that it is indeed legal. Madam Bones was able to find an old law, one predating the Ministry itself, to justify this."

Diana sighed inwardly, having expected this reaction. Still, she supposed she should consider herself fortunate that he wasn't openly antagonistic — she represented a fairly direct challenge to his authority, after all.

"The situation is what it is, and so we must learn to make the best of it," Dumbledore went on. "If we truly wish for our students to be safe, we must work with Mrs. Black rather than against her. She is not our enemy, Voldemort is; and whatever else might be said about this situation, I think we can at least rest secure in the knowledge that she is nothing at all like Madam Umbridge was."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Diana said, inclining her head. "And please, call me Diana. Or Mrs. Black, if the situation calls for it. Since Rose and I are both technically Mrs. Potter-Black, we've decided to go by Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Black to avoid confusion."

"Very well, Diana," Dumbledore replied, "And before I forget, I was asked to pass a message along to Miss Granger, though you and Mrs. Potter will probably want to hear it as well. Madam Bones thanks Miss Granger for her letter, but regrets to say that she is unable to do anything about it. The person in question has made some sort of deal with people in the Ministry — people higher than her — and is now untouchable. She was quite perturbed about the situation, and said a few things I never would have expected to hear from her. I trust you understand?"

Diana nodded. "That is unfortunate. I know Hermione will be disappointed, though Rose won't be surprised."

"Indeed, I was most distressed to learn this myself," Dumbledore agreed, surprising her with how much he obviously knew about the matter. "Now, introductions are in order. I believe you've already met Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor, and you earlier met Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin. Professor Sprout here is Head of Hufflepuff, and Professor Flitwick is Head of Ravenclaw."

"I'm pleased to meet you all, and I look forward to working with you."

"Getting back to that subject," Dumbledore said, "can you share with us any plans you might have?"

"Not as of yet," Diana admitted. "Rose and her friends told me as much about the castle and surrounding grounds as they could, but I need to see it myself in order to start planning. A map would be helpful, as well as information about existing defenses and whatever tools and resources I'll have access to."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I'll ensure that everything we have is collected for you tonight, though I'm surprised that Rose and her friends didn't give you access to a map of their own?"

The corner of Diana's mouth twitched briefly in response.

"Yes, of course," he went on. "There is probably quite a bit of information that needs to be gathered, not all of which is necessarily accurate anymore. We will have to meet privately to discuss it. I suspect that the task before you will prove to be rather more complicated than you were led to believe."

"Perhaps," Diana conceded, "but I've been reading Hermione's copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ , so I'm aware that even getting a handle on what exists and what can be done will take time."

"Excellent, though I'm sure it will come as no surprise that quite a bit about the castle's magic and defenses is only ever revealed to headmasters and a few trusted staff members? Very well. One thing that I must inform you about is the fact the position of Castle Warden is not technically staff — it was always externally funded and answerable to external authorities. As such, you will not have the power to do things like take points or assign detentions."

"That's fine. Those are matters of school discipline, not castle security. But what if I see violations of school rules?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment, then said, "If there is a breach of security involved as well, then you should act as you see fit. Otherwise, bring it to the attention of whichever staff member is closest or on duty and they'll handle it." He looked around at the others. "I trust that meets with your agreement." They all nodded, though Snape continued to scowl.

"There is one important matter you should be aware of and which will affect what I can do," Diana said. "While I do have magic, it's not the sort of magic you are accustomed to here. I do not cast spells, nor do I have a wand."

Dumbledore looked unsurprised. "I had wondered about that, when I realized that I hadn't seen you cast any spells."

"Headmaster!" Snape burst out. "How can she possibly fulfill her duties without being able to do magic?"

"You have no problem employing Argus Filch," Diana said pointedly. "Besides, you did hear me say that I have magic, did you not?"

"We only have your word for it!"

"Severus," Dumbledore admonished. "You're forgetting the marriage certificate. It was magically valid, which is only possible when both parties are magical."

"In Britain," Snape allowed grudgingly, crossing his arms.

"I believe the same is true in North America," Dumbledore said, and Snape simply scowled. The old wizard addressed her again. "Can you explain the nature of your magic?" he asked.

Diana shook her head. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, but my community has separated itself from the wider world. I'm not at liberty to disclose their secrets, which include the nature of my magic."

Snape snorted, but Dumbledore simply inclined his head. "Very well. This does complicate matters for us. You wouldn't have had direct access to the main castle wards in any event — not even all staff do — but your inability to cast spells will limit your access to the castle's defenses even further. If you wish to alter any of the existing magical defenses, you'll need the assistance of one of the heads of house, or possibly myself in some cases."

"I expected as much," Diana responded. "That will slow things down, since I'm sure the heads of house are already busy, especially at the start of a new term." Left unsaid was the fact that this would ensure that the Headmaster would be able to keep close track of everything she did.

"I have a question," Professor Flitwick spoke up. "Just how far do you intend to go to maintain security? The person whose arm you severed in Diagon Alley was Marcus Flint, a boy who only just graduated from here. That's going to cause hard feelings as it is, but it's likely to cause some fear, too, if the students think that you're prepared to use such violence inside the castle." There was a murmur of agreement, and the Headmaster in particular was watching her closely.

"I should point out that the DMLE ruled that my use of force was justified," Diana said. "Flint had already cast one killing curse against me, and the investigation found that he'd used several other nasty curses before that. This was after I gave them all a chance to surrender peacefully, too."

"Oh?" Flitwick asked. "I hadn't heard that."

Diana nodded. "My policy now is as it was then: to always seek a peaceful resolution first if possible, but not to exclude violence entirely. I will never seek out opportunities to kill, no more than I seek out battle; but just as I'm willing to fight to defend myself and others when confronted by aggression, I'm also willing to use deadly force should the aggressors make it necessary."

"Are you so certain of yourself?" Snape cut in. "It's one thing to talk about killing, but quite another to actually take a life. To see the light go out in their eyes."

"I've done it before," Diana said evenly, fixing Snape with her undaunted, unblinking gaze until he was forced to look away.

"Yes, well, moving on," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat. "I expect that one of the reasons you took this position was to be close to Rose Potter. While I cannot begrudge you spending time together, I must insist that you not do anything that might seriously disrupt her studies."

"Of course not."

"Good. I must also regretfully say that I cannot give you married quarters to share."

"They exist?" Diana asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "They are rarely used these days, but there was a time when seventh year students were occasionally married. Regardless, there would simply be too much outrage if I were perceived as... facilitating your relationship," he said delicately. "I expect Madam Bones will have difficulty resisting demands that you be removed, but neither of us would long survive if it were known that the two of you shared quarters."

"I understand," Diana said, though she didn't feel nearly as agreeable as she'd tried to sound.

"Very well, I suggest we call it a night, then..."

"One last thing?" Diana interrupted, and Dumbledore gestured for her to proceed. "I'm concerned about these, uh, 'Howlers,' I believe they're called. I was told that not only Rose, but her friends had to deal with some over the summer, and it was only the heavy secrecy around their accommodations which protected them. That, and Rose being so far away."

"And you're wondering about what will happen now that they are more out in the open?" Dumbledore asked. "Fear not, for I have spent some time over the summer working on how to deal with exactly that problem, and I believe that I have been able to adjust the castle's wards to keep them out. In fact, I think that my work on the wards will make it easier for me to help you in the coming months."

"And it's about time, too," McGonagall muttered. Diana noted that the professors appeared to be of the same mind, even Snape.

"Thank you," Diana said.

Dumbledore smiled in acknowledgment. "Perhaps you and I can meet in the morning to go over security in more detail?" Diana nodded as she rose from her chair. They all stood and began filing out when the Headmaster added, "Severus, would you stay a moment?"

Once down at the base of the stairs, Diana remained standing against the far wall as the others moved off.

McGonagall paused. "Is there a problem?" she asked.

"I thought I'd wait and talk to Professor Snape. We need to chat about his attitude, especially when it comes to Rose."

The older woman winced. "Good luck with that. But please, do try to leave him in one piece — we have ever so much trouble getting people to teach Defense, and I don't think anyone has been lost even before their first lesson."

"I'll try."

"When you're ready, call for a house elf to show you to your quarters."

It was nearly fifteen minutes until the "moment" Dumbledore needed was done and Snape descended the circular stone steps. He faltered only slightly when he saw her standing there, arms crossed. "Can I help you?" he drawled.

"Yes," she said, pushing off the wall and moving to stand in front of him — not quite close enough to invade his personal space, but close enough that he had to look up at her. "I meant what I said back in Headquarters. I'd like to work with you. Our goals are the same, after all: the elimination of Voldemort. However, that requires at least a minimal amount of respect and civility on both sides."

"And you think me incapable of that?"

"Not incapable, but you do act like you're unwilling. Your behavior upstairs just now, your behavior towards me back in Headquarters, and of course your treatment of Rose ever since she came here are all about disrespect and incivility."

"So that's what this is about," Snape spat. "Of course you'd want me to coddle that arrogant girl."

"Who said anything about coddling anyone?" Diana asked, confused by his response. "I want you to treat her and me properly. I don't think that basic decency and courtesy are too much to ask."

"I treat her exactly the way she deserves," Snape declared stiffly. "She's arrogant, she doesn't do her work, she refuses to take her studies seriously, she expects everything to be handed to her, and she constantly breaks the rules. She's been like that ever since she first set foot in Hogwarts, and her behavior has only gotten worse — look at how she ran off for the summer without telling anyone where she went! No respect at all for all the time and effort others had put in to ensure her safety. No respect for the Headmaster's position or the promises he's made. No sense of restraint. Others here may indulge her misbehavior, rewarding her for flagrant violations of the rules, but I refuse. I will not be blinded by her fame. I see who and what she truly is."

Diana took a step back in surprise and stared hard at the man. "You truly believe that, don't you?"

"Why not? It's the truth," he said before spinning on his heel and marching down the hall, his robes billowing behind him.

"Then you won't mind if you receive the same," she called, and he paused in his steps. "Being treated exactly the way others think you deserve, I mean." He hesitated for a long moment before continuing away from her without looking back.

She knew she'd gotten her message across, but she'd have to wait to see if he'd heed it.

* * *

Back in his office, Albus Dumbledore poured himself another brandy and sat at his desk to give more thought to the problem of Diana Black's presence and her influence on Rose Potter. He'd hoped that separation during the school term would give him time to gauge how much Mrs. Potter had changed and work to correct any negative impact the relationship might have had, but that wouldn't be possible now.

"What are we going to do, Fawkes?" he asked. The phoenix stopped preening to look at his companion, but almost immediately returned to what he was doing without answering. Dumbledore simply stared out the window, not seeming to notice. "We need Mrs. Potter to defeat Voldemort," he continued, "but at the same time, we cannot risk her becoming reckless or violent. I thought I had made progress with her on that, but Mrs. Black seems to be the opposite of what I've been trying to achieve."

Fawkes squawked at that.

"No, it's not that I fear her becoming Dark," Dumbledore hastened to answer. "Or at least, I doubt it is likely. But reckless use of power creates far too much suffering, no matter how good one's intentions." He took a sip of brandy and continued to stare out the window, working through a problem that had been plaguing him for decades.


	9. Busted

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _What Happens in Vegas,_ by Silently Watches. Willow Potter and friends travel to Vegas to recover from events at the end of Willow's fifth year. At the same time, the Teen Titans also head to Vegas to recover from recent problems of their own. Hijinks ensue, naturally, and things do not go well at first. Willow/Raven.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 09 - Busted**

 **Monday, September 2, 1996, Morning.**

"Good Morning," Dumbledore said brightly as Diana entered his office. He gestured towards a table with food. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought we'd eat breakfast while discussing the castle's security."

"I don't mind at all," Diana responded as she sat down while Dumbledore poured them both some tea. "Before we get started, though, I'd like to clear the air between us."

"Oh?"

"You don't like me, or at least that's the impression I get," Diana said. "It's not merely that you don't want someone from the Ministry poking around — I can understand that. It's me in particular that you don't like. What I'm unsure about is whether it's because Rose and I are two women in a relationship together—"

Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. "No, I don't personally object to that. I'm not happy about the repercussions this will have for Mrs. Potter, but unlike most wizards and witches in our society, I hold no personal animus towards either of you because of it."

Diana nodded. "That's good. But there is animus there, and I don't want it festering in the background, undermining the work we need to do together."

Dumbledore took a moment to stir his tea while he collected his thoughts before answering. "I must confess that I've been rather worried — about you and what sort of influence you would have on Mrs. Potter. I've been worried that you would incite her to act with too little restraint, to exercise her power recklessly in ways that harmed others. It's clear that you only have the best of intentions, but I know too well that good intentions are not always enough."

"That is true," Diana conceded, "but too much restraint in the use of power can be as much of a problem as the reckless use of it."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. "In what way?"

"I've been studying the recent history of your community," Diana explained. "Despite holding three positions of great prestige and power, you didn't push as hard as you might have for trials and investigations following the first defeat of Voldemort. As a consequence, a great many went free on the basis of flimsy excuses. In this very school, there is bullying and atrocious behavior that go unpunished. There is so much more you could have done and could be doing, yet you don't."

The old wizard looked down at his hands. "This is far from the first time I've heard such criticisms, and I won't pretend that they are without any merit. However, as with magical power, it's far too easy for political and social power to be wielded for the ostensible good of all while harming the innocent."

"That's precisely why a person needs training and education in how to wield power responsibly," Diana countered. "Something you have manifestly not done with Rose." Dumbledore looked up at her then, his eyes betraying his surprise. "Yes, after talking to Rose and others, I suspect that while you've encouraged her to leap into action, you've also encouraged her to be cautious in her use of power when she does act."

The Headmaster nodded slowly. "I have not wished her to learn anything too dangerous or deadly, at least not until she is mature enough to handle the responsibility." His look grew haunted as he added, "I know from bitter experience how the impetuosity of youth can misuse power, even while intending no great harm."

"And what have you done to help her become ready for that responsibility?"

"She is still young," Dumbledore insisted. "She needs to enjoy her childhood for as long as possible—"

"Even under the best of circumstances, she still should have been learning from a young age how to shoulder the responsibilities you and others place upon her," Diana interrupted. "You knew the prophecy. You knew how this community had turned her into a symbol. An idol, even. She needed to be prepared."

Dumbledore frowned. "I take it you intend to move her in a different direction?"

"I've already begun," she replied. "Since shortly after the wedding I've been training her in physical fitness and the use of a sword." The old wizard's bushy eyebrows rose at that, but Diana swept on. "Not only does it build strength and stamina, but she has to learn how to use the weapon responsibly. It's not a toy, and unlike wands, it's not used casually. I've also been teaching her the history, traditions, and politics of my community to give her examples of how others have acted with wisdom. Above all, I intend to teach her the importance of exercising power responsibly, whether that power is physical, magical, political, or social. She has a destiny, that much is clear, and she won't be able to achieve it if she remains unprepared."

"And she knows about your intentions?"

"Of course. I'm not manipulating her — on the contrary, I've explained why I'm doing this and why it will benefit her. Although she still struggles with accepting what the Fates have in store for her, she agrees that being better prepared could have served her in the past — for example, how it might have helped her deal with people's reactions when she first arrived at Hogwarts."

"Was it truly so bad?" Dumbledore asked, sagging a little.

Diana nodded. "In her mind, it was, and I believe her. Both adults and children had huge expectations for and assumptions about her, none of which she understood. As a result, she was completely lost in how to deal with people — and that's not counting the poor socialization she apparently received at the hands of her relatives. She tries too hard to please others and doesn't do nearly enough to assert herself or defend her own interests. Not even when she is obviously being harmed." The edges of the small table between them creaked ominously under her grip as she leaned forward. "I've seen the scars, Headmaster, including the scars on her hand. You have no idea how difficult it was for me not to go down to your Ministry and tear it down, stone by stone. I am a peaceful person by nature, but even my patience was stretched nearly to the breaking point."

Dumbledore's gaze rested briefly on the beleaguered table, then returned to meet her own hard stare. "I see. I assure you, I did not know what that woman was doing to Mrs. Potter. If I had..."

"You might have, if you'd not allowed her to grow up to depend entirely on herself."

The silence grew heavy in the room. "I will have to think on this," he finally said.

Diana sat back and sighed inwardly, knowing it was the best she was going to get.

"In the meantime, let's return to the original purpose of this meeting," he went on, pulling out a stack of parchment and beginning to explain how the castle's wards worked.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked as soon as Rose entered the Gryffindor common room through the portrait hole.

"Exercising."

"For how long?"

Rose shrugged. "Couple of hours, I guess."

"I've been down here almost that long, and it's only just after seven!"

"I guess we just missed each other."

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Why did you get up so early for exercising?"

"Diana got me started on exercises to help my fitness and stamina. Normally she works out with me, but she couldn't this morning. I just... well, I need to get better. A lot better if I have any hope of... Look, can we talk about this later? I need to shower before I can go to breakfast."

The bushy-haired witch relented and made shooing motions at her friend. Rose started to walk off, then stopped. "Are the others up yet?" she asked.

Hermione's face softened as she shook her head. "They're never up before seven. You have time."

"Good," Rose said as she trotted up the steps.

By the time she returned, Ron, Ginny, and Neville were waiting for her as well, and they all went to the Great Hall for breakfast together.

"Hermione and Ginny told us about how the other witches are acting," Ron said along the way. "Are they really all shunning you?"

Rose nodded. "Except for these two, yeah. What are the boys saying?"

"Dean doesn't care," Neville answered. "He shrugged and said that it's getting to be less important in the muggle world, so why should witches and wizards make a big deal about it?" Rose smiled at hearing that.

"Seamus... well, he's being Seamus," Ron said with a shrug.

"What, he hates me too?" Rose asked softly.

"No, sort of the opposite," Ron explained hesitantly. "He kinda waggled his eyebrows and wondered if you and your wife could make room for a third."

"Ew! I'm going to hex his bollocks off!"

"I already did," Neville assured her. "Or partly. He won't be using them for a while, at least." Given the look on Ron's face, Rose believed him.

"Thanks, Nev."

Neville nodded. "Dean pointed out that the rest of us don't choose to find witches attractive and couldn't choose to suddenly find blokes attractive, so why should we condemn you for feeling the same way?"

* * *

Breakfast that morning was one of the most uncomfortable Rose had ever experienced in Hogwarts, even when compared to second and fourth years. It seemed to her that nearly everyone took time out to stare at her at least once, and most did it multiple times. It got so bad that she left shortly after getting her class schedule, deciding that she'd rather sit alone somewhere than continue to be the object of so much unwanted attention.

She hadn't gotten far when she heard someone quickly coming up behind her. Turning, she saw it was Diana, and all the tension that had been building up instantly drained away.

"Are you alright? You barely touched your breakfast."

Rose blinked, surprised that Diana would have even noticed. "All the staring took away my appetite, I guess. I wanted to get away for a bit."

"Do you have a free period?" Diana asked. "Maybe we could spend some time together before I start my own work?"

"No, unfortunately, my first class is in a little bit," Rose said, sighing as she handed her schedule to her wife.

"I don't know exactly what my own schedule will be," Diana said as she looked over the parchment. "In principle I should be able to set my own, but I'll have to work around others' schedules when I need help with anything."

"I understand. I know you'll do what you can."

"You've got a little time yet, at least," Diana said, handing back the schedule and putting an arm around Rose's shoulders. "Didn't you say something once about Hogwarts' broom cupboards?"

* * *

Rose's day went downhill after that. When she was alone in the corridors, she was the target of taunts and insults, something which seemingly every student she passed took great delight in. By the time she got to her second class she was so on edge that she was prepared to curse anyone who looked at her funny. It was only the combined efforts of her friends that kept her calm enough to pay attention to Flitwick's lecture.

The rest of her week wasn't any better. By the third day of classes, Rose had taken to carrying her invisibility cloak at all times. She needed it to hide from the hostile stares, nasty comments, and an increasing number of hexes being cast at her from behind. Her closest friends made a point of sticking nearby as much as possible, but they couldn't be with her all the time. Even worse, the problems only ceased when she was accompanied by wizards — the presence of Ginny or Hermione seemed to make no difference.

On top of all that, Diana wasn't much help, either. Even when she was there, she could do little about verbal insults and magic in the corridors because the Headmaster regarded them as disciplinary matters rather than security concerns. As it was, however, Diana was seldom around because she had to spend so much time studying the layout and defenses of the castle. After having spent nearly every waking and sleeping hour with Diana since the wedding, Rose found herself longing for her wife's company in a way that she hadn't expected.

It all came to a head on Friday afternoon — her first Defense lesson.

"Try to relax, it's almost the weekend," Hermione said, her hand on Rose's arm as they walked to class. Having Ron, Neville, and Dean close by allowed them to focus on talking instead of constantly having to watch their backs.

"I know, I know," Rose said, eyes downcast. "I just didn't expect it to hurt so much."

"The behavior of the students, or the separation from Diana?"

"Both."

"You got used to being close to her," Hermione observed.

Rose nodded. "It's more than that, though. I do miss talking to her and even just sitting with her, but... I don't know. There's this empty feeling. It feels a bit like when..." She trailed off and looked up at Hermione.

"Like what?"

"Nothing — forget I said anything," she said shortly.

Hermione frowned but didn't press.

"So how bad do you think this is going to be?" Rose asked as they arrived outside the Defense classroom.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I've not heard anything too awful from anyone who's already had it."

Rose looked up and saw who was approaching from the other direction. "And here's something else to add to the questionable decisions Dumbledore makes: constantly pairing Gryffindors with Slytherins."

"You don't know he's responsible for the class schedules."

"As Headmaster, I'm sure he could prevent it, if he wanted to," Rose retorted. "So at the very least he finds it acceptable, and perhaps actively endorses it."

Hermione scowled, but any response was forgotten when the Slytherin sixth-years got close enough to hear.

"You know, I hear that all the witches in Gryffindor are sleeping with each other now," Malfoy announced loudly. "It's like an infection that's spreading. Witches in other houses have been avoiding them so they don't catch the disease that American hussy brought into the castle."

Rose could feel the tension among the Gryffindors shoot up, especially when Fay, Lavender, and Parvati edged even farther away from her than they had been.

Draco turned from Pansy to face the Gryffindors. "Hey, Weasel, how are you Gryffindor wizards coping now that your witches are finding more satisfaction with each other than they ever did with you? Are you going to try following their lead? I doubt anyone else would have you at this point."

"Why you..." Ron growled. He started to pull his wand, but Neville quickly grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"Look, I was right — they're even holding hands!" Malfoy crowed to the laughing Slytherins.

"They make such an _adorable_ couple, too," Pansy drawled sweetly. "I wonder which one plays the witch when they're alone?"

"The Weasel, I'm sure," Nott answered. "His parents already have too many sons, so dressing up the youngest as a witch makes sense."

Dean had to grab Ron's other arm to keep him from charging the Slytherin group, and that was when the classroom door flew open with a loud bang. Snape stood there, glaring at everyone (but mostly the Gryffindors) before barking, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get in!"

"Books away, wands out," he went on, stalking through the class with his robes billowing as they got seated. "In this class you will be learning _properly_. You won't be relying on instruction from under-educated students with delusions of adequacy," — he looked pointedly at Rose — "nor will you be forced to endure the inane prattling of empty-headed women foisted off on us by Ministry dunderheads." The Slytherins chuckled at this, and it was taking all of Rose's willpower not to explode.

The smirk that flickered across Snape's face told her that he knew it, too.

"By the end of this year you will be expected to cast a much larger range of spells when defending yourselves. And all silently, too. Only those who put in the effort and have at least a modicum of talent will succeed. Your work in here will be mostly practical, and in order to gauge how horribly inadequate you all are after five years of the most incompetent teaching imaginable, we'll start with some demonstration duels." Snape turned his back on them and waved his wand to clear an area at the front of the room. "You are to use non-lethal spells only. You will be judged on your use of both defensive and offensive magic — variety, speed, and accuracy."

He looked around the room as if he were trying to decide whom to pair up. "Mr. Weasley and... Miss Parkinson," he announced. As the two moved to the front of the room, he whispered to Pansy in a voice that was far too audible, "You might wish to go easy on him. I believe he's still recovering from his disastrous performance in the Ministry in June."

The laughter from the Slytherins was predictable, as was Ron's obvious anger. "He's too upset to think straight," Hermione hissed. Rose nodded — one principle Diana had constantly repeated was the importance of keeping a cool head when going into a fight. Strong emotions like panic and anger tended to interfere with decision-making. Rose liked to think that her lessons to the DA helped by teaching other students what to do instead of panicking, but it wasn't something she'd understood well enough to teach explicitly.

Not that it would have helped Ron much in any case.

"Begin!" Snape commanded, and Ron's wand immediately snapped up.

 _"_ _ **Expelliarmus!**_ _"_

Pansy barely had to move to avoid his spell. _"_ _ **Reducto!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Protego!**_ _"_ Ron cried, and his shield absorbed the reductor curse, but Pansy followed it up with several more offensive spells.

 _"_ _ **Incarcerous! Reducto! Reducto! Stupefy!**_ _"_

Two reductor curses in a row brought down Ron's shield, and he had no time to block the stunning spell that slammed into him, sending him tumbling backwards to the floor.

"Ten points to Slytherin for demonstrating how to quickly incapacitate an opponent," Snape said, and Pansy held her head high as she returned to her seat. "Can anyone tell me what Mr. Weasley did wrong? Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Sir, he started quickly, but too quickly to aim. A _proper_ wizard hits his target."

"Correct, five points to Slytherin. Next, we'll have—"

"But sir, what about Ron?" Hermione blurted out.

"Five points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn!" Almost as an afterthought, Snape drawled, "You may revive him, if you wish," and Hermione got up to do exactly that. Once she'd reached Ron, though, he added, "And since you're already up here, you will be next." She stiffened briefly before nodding and casting _"Rennervate"_ on Ron.

"Mr. Nott!" Snape called. "You will be facing Miss Granger."

Hermione took her place as Ron staggered to his seat, and after a moment Snape said, "Begin!"

Theodore Nott quickly learned that Hermione wasn't nearly as easy to duel as Ron had been for Pansy. Not only did her shield stand up to more abuse, but she cast more quickly, too, allowing her to get in three or four offensive spells for every one or two of Nott's. It wasn't long before Hermione's whispered _"Glacius"_ caused Nott to lose his balance, making him an easy target for her follow-ups. _"_ _ **Expelliarmus! Stupefy!**_ _"_

Snape summoned Nott's wand from the air before Hermione could catch it and almost simultaneously revived the Slytherin student with his own wand. "Ten points to Slytherin for a good demonstration of tactics. Five points from Gryffindor for excessive force."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, stopping halfway to her seat.

"Either the disarming charm or the stunning spell alone would have been sufficient, Miss Granger," Snape replied. "Doing both was excessive. And another five points from Gryffindor for questioning a professor."

Rose could practically hear Hermione's teeth grinding as she retook her seat. "Not too awful, huh?" Rose asked, receiving a growl in response.

"Potter! If you're so bored that you need to chat with your girlfriend, you can be next!" Snape said. "And perhaps it would be appropriate to face Mr. Malfoy again. I warn you to stick to spells this time, Potter. No using dark abilities like parseltongue. It wouldn't do for our Chosen One to get too reliant on Dark Magic, would it?"

Rose was so angry as she walked up to the front of the class that her hands were shaking. When she saw Draco's smug expression facing her from across the room, all she could see was someone she wanted to take out that anger on. Despite that, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, knowing that it would be a bad idea to lose control in front of Snape.

"Begin!"

Rose's intended disarming charm was immediately replaced by a shield when she heard Draco cry, _"_ _ **Confringo!**_ _"_ Numerous gasps came from the Gryffindor side of the room when her shield wavered, and she chose to dodge when Draco followed up his explosive blasting curse with _"_ _ **Defodio! Lacarnum Inflamari!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Reducto!**_ _"_ Rose incanted as she realized that Draco wasn't even going to bother with simpler, less dangerous spells.

 _"_ _ **Diffindo! Perforo!**_ _"_ he cast as he sidestepped Rose's reductor curse, forcing her to drop and roll away in a move that Diana had taught her. Her fight with Io had made her acutely aware of how valuable that skill could be, and she'd redoubled her efforts to practice it ever since.

 _"_ _ **Incendio!**_ _"_ Her fire spell finally forced Draco to cast a shield, but it wasn't a spell she could keep going for long. As soon as she stopped, she had to roll again to avoid his response.

 _"_ _ **Contundo! Ossus Fragmen!**_ _"_

Rose was certain that she'd heard gasps from the Slytherin side of the room that time, and it occurred to her that while lethal spells technically weren't allowed, that didn't mean that nearly-lethal spells weren't — spells that could potentially kill if she were "unlucky" in where they hit. She focused heavily on dodging and weaving, putting Diana's lessons to good use. The stamina she'd built up from Diana's exercise regime also seemed to be helping, because she didn't tire despite how much she had to move around.

"Enough!" Snape finally snapped. One glance at Draco told her why: the Slytherin was gulping for air and looked as though he wouldn't have lasted much longer. A few more minutes, and she might have been able to beat him by simply plucking his wand from his hand after he collapsed in exhaustion.

Rose smiled in satisfaction as she returned to her seat, knowing that she'd effectively beaten him, and that he knew it.

"Twenty points to Slytherin for an excellent demonstration of how to use a wide variety of spells to keep an inferior opponent at bay." Despite his panting, Draco managed to beam at his Head of House, and Rose was left glaring helplessly as Snape turned to face her. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for using muggle techniques instead of magic."

The laughter of the Slytherins ringing in her ears, Rose gaped at him. "Since when is moving around just a muggle technique?" she demanded as she shot to her feet. "Others moved to avoid spells, too."

"Another ten points from Gryffindor for talking back to a professor, Potter," Snape said with a smirk. "And a detention, too. With me, tonight. I don't have any cauldrons here for you to clean, but maybe a few hours scrubbing this classroom will help you change your attitude." He then turned to look at the rest of the class. "Would anyone like to answer her? Miss Parkinson?"

"The rest of us moved gracefully, as if dancing, like a proper pureblood should. Potter rolled in the dirt like a filthy muggle, sir. Probably something she learned from her... wife."

"Correct! Ten points to Slytherin, but one point _from_ Slytherin for incorrectly labeling that woman as anyone's 'wife.' As you all know, our Ministry does not recognize perversions of marriage as legally or magically valid. Only Americans are so degenerate as to permit such unnatural unions, and the less said about them, the better."

Rose felt Ron and Hermione pull her down into her chair. She wanted to scream, and tears of rage pricked at her eyes. As horrible as the week had been, she should have known that Snape would make it worse — and she had this to look forward to every Friday afternoon until June. So much for Defense being her favorite class!

The end of the lesson couldn't come fast enough for Rose, and nothing her friends did managed to comfort her. There was only one thing she wanted, one thing that she thought would calm her, and she'd only have a short window between dinner and detention.

* * *

"Diana?" Rose called out as she pushed open the door. She didn't need to knock or use a key, since Dumbledore had agreed to ward it to prevent anyone but Diana, Rose, and the staff from entering these quarters.

"Rose? Is something wrong?"

"Yes. No. Everything!" Rose said helplessly as she flopped onto the couch. Diana simply raised a questioning eyebrow as she sat down alongside, putting her arm around the young witch. "Where do I even begin? I'm getting a lot more hostility from the school than I'd expected. Not simply ostracism, but insults and even occasional hexing in the halls. My friends — at least, the ones who still want to be my friends — help where they can, but it isn't always enough. And they're starting to be targeted as well."

"Can't the professors do anything about it?"

Rose shrugged. "They can only act when they see something, and the other students are clever enough to avoid being caught."

Diana paused for a moment. "What about Dobby? Surely he could—"

Rose shook her head violently. "No way! You don't want to go there."

"Why not? I'd think he'd love to help you."

"Oh, he definitely would," Rose agreed. "The problem is, he has no sense of restraint. Combine that with how powerful and clever elves can be... well, let's just say it wouldn't end well for anyone Dobby thought was a threat to me. We don't need that kind of trouble in addition to everything else."

Diana sighed. "I hope that your classes are OK, at least?"

"Most are. Slughorn gives me the creeps, the way he keeps looking at me and finding little ways to praise me. At least the used Potions book I found has interesting notes in the margins. But the worst was Snape's Defense class today!"

"What did he do?" Diana asked, her eyes narrowing, and Rose related everything she could about the Defense lesson.

"I've tried to talk to him more than once," Diana said, her exasperation plain. "I've done everything I can think of to get him to interact with us in a civil manner. I may have to use a more... forceful approach."

"And what's to stop him from retaliating further against me in class?" Rose asked. "If he were still teaching Potions, I'd consider dropping it, but I can't drop Defense. He knows it, too. So I'll constantly be under his authority, allowing him to do almost anything." Defense had long been her best subject, but now she was wondering how badly her marks would fall under Snape's tutelage.

"That worries me, too," Diana admitted. "I could try going to the Headmaster, but..."

"But unless he does something decisive, and follows up on it, then I've got the same problem. And since he's never done anything about Snape before..."

"I'll give it some thought, see if I can come up with some alternatives," Diana said as she pulled Rose close.

"I've missed this," Rose said, sighing in contentment. "I've barely seen you all week."

"I've missed you, too," Diana agreed. "I wish I didn't have so many responsibilities right now, but there's been no focused effort to organize the castle's defenses in centuries."

Rose pulled back and looked at her in amazement. "Seriously? What happened to all the talk about Hogwarts being the safest place in Britain?"

"Oh, it has defenses all right, but they haven't so much been _organized_ as merely allowed to accumulate over the years, layer upon layer, like barnacles on a shipwreck. They may seem impenetrable, but if the worst happens, there's no flexibility there to respond with." She shook her head in dismay. "The job is almost too big for one person, and the lack of a wand makes it even more difficult because so often I need one of the professors to help."

"Is there anything I can do? Maybe if I could help, we'd be able to spend more time together?" Rose asked, but the hope that had quickly welled up in her was immediately quashed.

"No, the magic seems to be more advanced than you are ready for; and regardless, the situations which call for a wand also usually call for someone in a position of authority in the school. Perhaps if you were a prefect, that could qualify, but as it is..."

"This sucks," Rose declared, and Diana didn't argue. Instead, she gave Rose a squeeze before standing up.

"Unfortunately, I need to go while it's still light out. There's something I need to do in the forest. I'd invite you to stay, but I don't know how late I'll be."

Rose shook her head. "No, Snape gave me a detention, remember?" She bit her bottom lip for a moment, then said, "What if I come back later, after my detention? If you're not here, I can wait."

"That will probably be well after curfew."

"So?"

"So, you shouldn't be out after curfew," Diana insisted. "It would look bad for both of us if you were caught breaking rules that have potential security implications."

"Fine, whatever," Rose sulked, surging to her feet and stalking towards the door. "I'll go scrub floors on my hands and knees for the Dungeon Bat while you have fun in the forest. I got plenty of practice doing that whenever the Dursleys went out to have fun, so no big deal."

"Rose!"

"What?"

"We'll make some time this weekend, I promise."

Diana shook her head and sighed after the door slammed shut, not sure what to do about what was becoming an impossible situation for them. She closed her eyes and took several calming breaths in an attempt to push away the sudden, unexpected anger that had welled up at the end of their conversation. _Maybe I need more sleep..._

* * *

 **Friday, September 6, 1996, Night. Forbidden Forest.**

Diana picked her way carefully through the forest, using the long staff to help her navigate the dark terrain and push aside brush so it didn't catch on her heavy, dark cloak. Despite the fact that there was still plenty of sunlight left in the day, the forest itself had quickly closed in around her, creating a dark and foreboding environment that seemed intended to drive away anyone foolhardy enough to venture into its confines.

Diana was not so easily intimidated, however. She needed a way to secure the outer boundaries of the Hogwarts grounds, and this was her best shot at protecting at least one flank.

She'd been walking for nearly half an hour when she attracted the attention of her targets, but she kept going. Over the next fifteen minutes they watched and circled around her, always keeping their distance and always keeping her in sight. And still she walked.

At long last they made their move, charging in on her from all directions. The pounding of their hooves against the forest floor was thunderous, but she gave no sign that she might have felt cowed. Numerous arrows were shot into the ground around her, but she simply stopped and waited calmly for them to cease galloping in a circle.

Eventually they seemed to realize that their actions weren't having any effect, and they finally came to a halt.

"Who are you?" one challenged her.

"What does it matter?" asked another. "When are we going to stop treating these humans with respect when they show none to us? This is the second time in a few months that we've found a witch trespassing on our land! Terrorizing the first obviously hasn't deterred them, so it's time to take more drastic steps!"

"Who are you?" asked the first again, sounding even less friendly this time.

"I am no witch," Diana said, tipping her staff forward enough for the moonlight to shine off the foot-long bronze spearhead at the tip, causing all the centaurs to back up a step.

"What is it that you want?" a third asked.

"I come to treat with you," Diana answered.

"How can you claim to want to treat with us when you bear weapons of war?"

Diana lifted the spear and jammed the butt end down into the earth until it stood straight on its own. She then allowed her dark cloak to fall away, revealing her white robe and golden tiara. Stepping forward away from the spear, she held her hands outward, palms up, and said, "I come to you in peace, but I also come prepared for war. I have no doubt that war approaches, and war is a subject we must discuss."

A larger, darker-skinned centaur stepped forward until he was scarcely a meter from her. She was forced to look up to meet his eyes, something she was very unaccustomed to.

"Who are you?" he asked softly.

"I am Diana, daughter of Hippolyta, Princess, Emissary, and Ambassador of the Amazons of Themyscira. And I wish to speak with you."

This announcement drew startled exclamations from the centaurs, most of whom began stomping the ground and muttering among themselves. "Silence!" the larger centaur called out to his herd before turning back to her. "We have not had contact with any of the old tribes for millennia. What has brought you so far from the land of your birth, Princess?"

"My wife is a student in the castle, and a heavy fate rests on her shoulders. I have accompanied her to help her bear that burden. I have come to stand and fight by her side."

The centaur nodded slowly, as if finally understanding something. "I am Magorian. You are right: war is coming. We have been watching the signs for years. Earlier this summer, however, there was something new in the heavens. A sword of stars and light appeared, cutting across the paths of both Mars and Venus. We did not know what it meant, but perhaps the answer is in front of us now."

"Magorian! You can't—"

"Quiet, Bane! Even if I didn't think she might be the sword of light, I would not disrespect an ambassador from one of the old tribes. We shamed ourselves enough, once, when we failed to respect traditions of hospitality. Would you have us shame ourselves again? How far would we have to travel this time in order to find refuge?" This seemed to make the other centaurs even more agitated, and Diana was glad that their ire was directed at their herdmate rather than at her.

She eyed the leader closely when he turned back to face her, then asked, "Thessaly? Not Laconia or Elis?" Magorian nodded. "Everyone wondered what happened to you, after. You traveled far."

"We needed to, in order to find a place where none knew our crimes."

"I don't doubt it, but perhaps the time for your penance is over." She extended her hands in front of her again, palms facing up. "Let us work together as friends and comrades, and you will no longer have to hide your faces in the shadows."

Magorian regarded her carefully. "As you say, perhaps. But the herd will need to debate matters first. Your appearance heralds uncertainty and strife. We cannot treat with you or accept your embassy until we are certain that such a move is in accordance with the heavens."

Diana inclined her head, not betraying her disappointment as she let her arms drop. "When should I return?"

"We will send word when we are ready to speak further with you. Do not venture into the forest again until then, for we will only guarantee your safety for your return trip tonight." With a bellow, he then commanded the other centaurs to leave. Most only gave her curious looks as they departed, but some were openly hostile.

"That could have gone better," she muttered as she retrieved her spear and retraced her path back to the castle.

* * *

"Rose, there you are!" Hermione exclaimed. "I've been worried... Luna? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure she got back OK," Luna replied.

"Why? What happened?" Hermione asked, rushing up to them. "Rose, what happened to your hands?"

"Snape had me scrubbing everything in the Defense classroom," Rose said sourly. "He said he didn't have any gloves, and the cleaning potions burned."

"Come on, sit down over here," Hermione said as she guided them to a couch. "I still have some Murtlap Essence from last year — let me go get it."

"Thanks for walking with me, Luna."

"You're welcome, Rose."

"You're back!" Ron called as he and Neville came down from the boys' dorm. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Why are you so late?" Neville asked. "Snape didn't keep you until now, did he?"

"Not exactly," Rose said, sighing in relief when Hermione returned and began applying the Murtlap Essence. "He kept me until one minute before curfew. There was no way I was going to make it here in time, and I think that was his intention."

"Why didn't you use... uh, you know?" Ron asked.

"Why didn't you go to the Hospital Wing is a better question," Hermione grumbled.

"I figured someone would be watching the corridor to the Hospital Wing," Rose said. "You know, to get me in trouble for being out late. That's also why I took the long way around to get here, otherwise I wouldn't have encountered Luna. I'm starting to regret letting Diana have my map."

"Why were you out, Luna?" Neville asked. "You aren't getting bullied again, are you?"

"No, things are much better this year," Luna answered, "There are hardly any nargles left in the Ravenclaw dorms — they must have brought in an exterminator over the summer. No, I think I got used to wandering at night."

"Thanks for watching out for her, Luna, we appreciate it," Ron said, earning him a broad smile from the blonde witch.

"That's what friends do, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, it is, Luna," Ginny assured her.

"And the reason why I was walking about exposed was because Snape confiscated it," Rose said.

"That slimy git!" Ron exclaimed. "He can't do that!"

"He had me empty my pockets and took everything that wasn't approved for school use," Rose continued. "He seemed especially incensed when he realized that he'd found something of my father's."

"You should talk to Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said as she finished with Rose's hands. "He returned it to you in first year, so he should be willing to get it back now. I mean, he clearly doesn't think it's against the rules to have."

"Yeah, and who knows what Snape will do with it?" Ron added. "He might give it to Malfoy!"

"Or destroy it, given how much he hated your father," Hermione pointed out.

Rose nodded. "I'll try tomorrow after the Quidditch tryouts. Right now, I just want to collapse into bed. I need to rest if I'm going to be at my best."

* * *

"You're late, Severus."

"I apologize, my Lord. I had some last-minute duties to perform that I couldn't escape."

"Then your information had better be worth keeping me waiting. You've had a week to investigate. What can you tell me about Rose Potter and this American witch?"

"My Lord, the article in the _Daily Prophet_ was substantially correct. Inflammatory, to be sure, but all the essential facts were true."

There were gasps of outrage from the Death Eaters present as each vied to be the most demonstrative in their horror at what the Girl Who Lived had done. Snape struggled to suppress a sneer at their obviousness.

"Silence!" hissed Voldemort. "So it's true, then? Rose Potter has thoroughly debased herself. She hasn't merely defiled her body by sleeping with another witch, she's actually attacked the foundations of our society by participating in an unnatural union she dares call a marriage!"

"My Lord, I'm not even sure that the woman is a witch. Dumbledore says that the marriage certificate is magically binding, and she claims to be magical, but she admits that she doesn't carry a wand and can't cast any spells."

"Could she be a squib?" Voldemort asked.

"It is possible," Snape answered. "I don't know what standards the Americans have for magical marriages, and she did compare her presence to Filch's."

Voldemort nodded. "This is one more demonstration of how far our society has fallen — and how much of it is the fault of that old fool, Dumbledore. It is, after all, his Golden Girl who's so shamelessly flouting our society's traditions and standards!"

Several Death Eaters voiced praise for the declaration, just as they were expected to do.

"Also, my Lord, she hasn't taken the name 'Potter.' Instead, she is calling herself Diana Black."

"What?" Bellatrix hissed.

"Apparently, Sirius Black named Rose his heir before the fight in the Ministry, and that now transfers to the American," Snape explained. He didn't have permission to reveal that Sirius was alive, but he needed to avoid directly lying, too. "She is technically Diana Potter-Black, but goes by Diana Black to avoid confusion and is registered in the family books as second only to Rose."

"No, that's impossible!" Bellatrix screeched as she jumped up out of her seat. "I refuse to acknowledge that degenerate American as any relative of mine!"

Voldemort looked amused as he watched her reaction. "This may even be worse than what your dear sister did," he observed, "marrying a mudblood then daring to reproduce with it."

"I'll kill her! I'll kill them both for defiling the noble name of Black!" Bellatrix shouted, waving her wand in a manner that caused other Death Eaters to flinch backwards.

"Bella," Voldemort warned, his voice low.

"My Lord, you must allow me to purify my family!"

"I must?"

"This cannot be allowed to stand! I'll have this American screaming until she tears her own throat out!"

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Bellatrix was on the ground, writhing and screaming for nearly a full minute before Voldemort released the curse. It had taken a lot of effort, but such insolence could not be allowed to go unpunished, not even from her.

"You forget yourself, Bellatrix," Voldemort said calmly. "No one is to kill Potter besides me, and you will do nothing to the American unless I command it. Do you understand?" She nodded silently as her body twitched from the aftereffects of the curse. "For now, you will have to ignore her existence. So long as she lives in the castle, she is simply too well protected. What else can you tell us about her, Severus?"

"She is... imposing, my Lord. Much taller and stronger than most women, though her reliance on base physical deeds is part of why I suspect she is a squib of some sort."

"Is that how she defeated my servants in Diagon Alley?"

"Perhaps, but I have not been told any of the details," Snape answered, not adding that what little he did know, he wasn't permitted to share.

"Yes, it's bad enough that Rose Potter has to defile herself with another woman, but she can't even be bothered to find a witch to do it with," Voldemort said with a sneer. "If that _Daily Prophet_ article is any indication of what's to come, the rest of Wizarding Britain will not only turn against her, but the Headmaster as well for allowing this."

"He is worried, my Lord," Snape said, "but he sees no choice aside from trying to work with her because she's been named Castle Warden and given authority over security matters. Not only has he been outmaneuvered by Madam Bones, but he fears that if he pushes the American away, he'll lose Potter as well."

"He deserves no less for his muggle-loving ways and for encouraging the destruction of our way of life," Voldemort snapped. "Severus, I want you to keep a close eye on this woman. Pay attention to what she does, what she says, and most of all her relationship with Rose Potter. One way or another, I'll find a way to use her. Whatever she is, whether a squib or something else, she will soon learn her place."

"Of course, my Lord."

* * *

 **Saturday, September 7, 1996. Morning.**

Rose was running out of the Great Hall to get back up to the common room when she heard steps behind her. She whirled around, only to find that it was Diana who was rushing after her.

"What is it?" Rose asked, without some of her usual warmth.

"I'm sorry about how things ended last night," Diana said, stepping close and putting her hand on Rose's arm.

Rose looked down at her feet, but something in her relaxed. "Yeah, me, too," she mumbled, "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's alright — I know this isn't easy for you. But I meant what I said: I'd like to make some time for us this weekend."

"Yeah?" Rose asked hopefully. The lack of contact with Diana had been making her feel worse and worse.

Diana nodded. "What about this evening? I can set aside time then. It'll be just the two of us in my quarters."

"Sounds wonderful!" Rose responded. "I can't wait!"

"What's wrong with your hands?" Diana asked, frowning when she saw the red skin.

"Nothing," Rose insisted, shoving her hands under her robes. The last thing she wanted was to bother Diana with what had happened with Snape. Not only was her wife far too busy, but she didn't want her to end up making things worse.

"Rose..."

"It's nothing! Just... irritation from scrubbing floors last night. It's no big deal."

"I could use some of the healing herbs I brought with me..."

"Don't worry about it — Hermione already helped with that. It's loads better."

"Oh."

"And besides, Quidditch tryouts start soon. I was heading up to grab my broom so I could do a bit of practice flying first."

"Oh! I had no idea that was today!" Diana exclaimed. "I should make time to come see you."

"No, it's alright. You're doing that tonight already."

"But Quidditch is important to you."

"Sure, but tryouts aren't exactly exciting. You won't be missing anything, I promise."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely!" Rose would have enjoyed having Diana there in the stands, watching, but given how busy she was as Castle Warden, Rose thought it best to focus on getting Diana's time and attention when it counted — like tonight, when they could be alone.

"Very well, in that case I'll have to make sure that tonight is extra special. I expect we'll be celebrating you getting on the team."

"Perfect!" Rose said before stretching up to kiss Diana. "Gotta go!"

Diana smiled and watched her wife charge up several flights of steps before eventually turning and re-entering the Great Hall. Neither of them had seen the several scowling faces watching from the shadows near the entrance to the dungeons, nor did Rose see them up on the seventh floor later when she exited the Gryffindor common room. As she approached the top of the stairs that led down to the Entrance Hall, she was far too preoccupied with thoughts of Quidditch and dinner that night to hear the spell that was fired at her feet. All she could say later was that she went down with shocking speed.

There was a sickening snap in one of her legs as she tumbled down the first flight of stone stairs, but almost as bad was the sound of her broom snapping in her hands as it got wrenched beneath her. In fact, she was so horrified at the fate of her broom that she almost didn't notice that instead of hitting the stone railing at the bottom of the flight of stairs, she simply rolled into empty air.

Her stomach lurched and a scream was torn from her lungs as the fourth floor landing rushed up to meet her. Suddenly a sharp, tearing pain exploded in her side, but she didn't even have enough breath left in her to gasp. Mercifully, she lost consciousness less than a second later when her head impacted the stone.


	10. Downswing

**A/N:** I'm a little surprised at the vehemence of some of the reactions to the previous chapter, and I wanted to offer some general responses.

I sympathize with those who wonder why Rose doesn't leave, and I've had a similar reaction to other fics, but that isn't reasonable here. For one thing, she's growing even closer to her friends than she was before. The fact that they are supporting her in her marriage while others are turning their backs means that they have shown how true their friendship is. Do you really think she'd leave Ron, Neville, Ginny, or Hermione to deal with Voldemort?

Moreover, do you really think that Diana would abandon wizarding Britain to this villain? Remember that she has not abandoned Patriarch's World. She's had doubts about her mission, and she realizes that the mistrust of her colleagues and the public will prevent her from being effective; so in that context, taking a step back for a while makes sense. However, whereas you and I might simply go on a vacation and relax, she's continuing her original mission on a smaller scale. _She's still on the same mission_ — just focused on one community rather than the whole world. And should a major threat arise in Patriarch's World, she'll be right back there, fighting alongside the League.

Wonder Woman is a paragon. She has a firm set of morals and values which she will not abandon, no matter what. She's convinced she's right, and nothing anyone says or does will sway her. This is why she isn't going to stomp on Snape until he's a wet spot on the floor, much less go around attacking students. She's willing to kill and injure — and will in fact do so before the story is over — but only when absolutely necessary. Right now it's not, and simply getting revenge isn't something she values. There's also the fact that Hogwarts' stairs move randomly, so it's unlikely that Rose's attackers could have intended for her to be as badly hurt as she was. As angry as Diana is, she knows this.

And as for Snape... well, as horrible of a human being as he is, he's not evil (in the sense of wanting to torture and kill, like Bellatrix). As you'll learn in this chapter, he honestly believes he has good, sound reasons for his actions. And he's not entirely wrong. He's gone way overboard, but he has a point in wanting to have more discipline, especially with Rose.

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices.

 **Recommendation:** _Strange Reflections,_ by LeQuin. The war is over, but Harry is a long way from recovering. Unfortunately for him, Fate has to get in one last hit: the sudden appearance of another family of Potters from another dimension. This is an interesting amalgamation of tropes usually seen standing alone in other stories, and LeQuin does a good job at blending them together in a way that is engaging and entertaining. Well worth reading. H/Hr

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 09 - Downswing**

 **Saturday, September 7, 1996, Morning. Hogwarts.**

The hospital wing door lay in ruins behind her, but Diana didn't care; all she cared about was finding Rose in the chaos at the far end of the room. Earlier she'd experienced a short burst of fear and pain, then nothing. A few minutes later she received a message from Professor McGonagall to hurry to the hospital wing because something had happened to Rose.

As Diana surveyed the room, what attracted her attention first wasn't Rose, surprisingly, but Hermione. Despite her dark school robes, Diana could clearly see that she was covered in blood.

"What happened to you?" she asked the girl, who had tears welling in her eyes. "Why aren't they helping you?"

"It's not me," Hermione choked out. "It's... it's Rose's blood."

Diana pulled her into an embrace and searched the room again as Hermione broke down. Close by stood Rose's friends, Ron, Ginny, and Neville, all of whom looked anxious and angry. Next to them was Dobby, tugging on his ears and stamping his feet in frustration.

Something was happening behind a standing curtain on the far end of the long room. She immediately headed there, Hermione still by her side, but as soon as she came around the curtain she almost wished she hadn't.

Rose lay in a hospital bed, her skin as white as the sheets should have been as red blood pooled around her. Professor McGonagall and another woman were working feverishly on a gaping wound in her side. Even as Diana watched, she could see the wound slowly closing, but that didn't make seeing the injury any easier. The healing probably went fast, even amazingly fast by non-magical standards, but it felt to Diana as though it took forever for the blood to stop pouring out and for an angry red scar to appear in place of the wound.

"I think it'll stay closed now, Poppy," McGonagall said, finding a clean spot on the back of her bloodied hand and wearily wiping her brow with it.

"And it's about time, too," the second witch replied. "Her other injuries can't wait much longer." Diana realized that this was the school healer, Poppy Pomfrey. Rose had mentioned her a few times in conjunction with some of her "adventures" over the years.

"Other injuries?" came Dumbledore's voice from behind, startling Diana. She hadn't heard him enter the hospital wing, she was so focused on her wife. "What's happened to her?"

"The puncture wound to her side was caused by a broken broom handle," Pomfrey answered as she started pulling out bottles of various sorts. "It pierced her left kidney. Hers was a powerful broom, and its magic interfered with the healing, so it took a lot longer than it normally would, but I think I got all the damage. What we need to worry about now are her bones: she's broken quite a lot of them. Four broken ribs, a shattered pelvis, both femurs are broken, there are several broken bones in her arms, and fractures to the bones in her face. She's also got a concussion, which has me worried. All the breaks are more serious than they would normally be, since her bones weren't the strongest to begin with," — here she gave the Headmaster a pointed look — "and there's been damage to some of her internal organs as well."

"Merciful Minerva!" Diana exclaimed, her heart pounding. "How did she even survive?"

McGonagall's left eye twitched at the apparent use of her name. "Witches and wizards are quite a bit hardier than muggles."

"How did this happen?" Dumbledore asked. "I understand that Gryffindor was having Quidditch tryouts today, but I didn't think they'd started yet."

"She never got there," Hermione said between sniffs. "She'd gone up to the dorm to get her broom, but we heard a scream up the stairs and went running. When we found her, it looked like she'd fallen off the seventh floor landing when the stairs moved, but Rose would never fall like that."

"You did well to get her here so quickly," Dumbledore noted, but Hermione shook her head.

"We tried," the young witch replied, "but we couldn't carry her without risking further injury. And she was bleeding so much!"

"It was Dobby who did it," Ron added, gesturing to the elf, who was still clearly upset. "He froze her in some fashion that slowed the bleeding, then insisted on levitating her here."

"Dobby should have been faster! Dobby should have been watching his Missey Rosey!"

"No, Dobby, you did well," Neville said, putting a hand on the angry elf's head. "She might not have made it without you."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I concur, Mr. Longbottom. I assume that you have her treatment well in hand, Madam Pomfrey?"

"She'll recover."

"Very well, I shall go investigate the scene now."

"I'll come with you. I have some experience in this," Diana said, but before she could move, McGonagall laid a surprisingly gentle hand on her arm.

"Albus knows what he's doing. Your place is here now."

"Stay," Dumbledore said. "I'll call for you if I find myself in need of assistance." Still Diana hesitated, but finally she inclined her head, and he turned and strode through the ruined door.

Madam Pomfrey focused on the Amazon for the first time. "Actually, it's a good thing that you're here. You're her next of kin now, right?"

"Yes," Diana said uncertainly, not liking the sound of that. "But I thought you said she'd recover...?"

"Oh, she will, but you're going to have to make a decision about her treatment. She's going to need a large dose of Skele-Gro in order to heal. Broken bones don't normally require it, but she has too many, including that shattered pelvis, and as I said her bones were weak to begin with. Simple spells won't be enough for her this time. It's going to be a long, uncomfortable, and at times painful process, so I'd like to keep her asleep."

Diana nodded, so Pomfrey swept on. "However, I imagine that you and others will want to talk to her as soon as possible about what happened. I can wake her for that, but I can't delay treatment until you're done, and I won't be able to put her asleep once I start. So if I wake her, she'll have to stay awake until the treatment runs its course or until she can fall asleep on her own."

"Has Rose ever had this treatment?" Diana asked, grasping at straws of information. In retrospect it was obvious that, as a married couple, they might eventually have to make such decisions for each other, but the thought had never even crossed her mind in the weeks they'd been together. What would Rose want? What would be best for her?

Hermione, still close by her side, spoke up. "Yes, a professor vanished all the bones in her arm in second year. She spent the night here having them regrown. She told me that she barely slept, it was so uncomfortable."

"And she'll be experiencing something close to that all over her body this time," McGonagall pointed out. "It won't be as bad in any one place, since she won't be regrowing everything from scratch, but there will be far more of it."

Diana closed her eyes and gripped Hermione's hand as she struggled with her decision. As Castle Warden, she had a duty to obtain as much information about the incident as quickly as possible if she was going to help catch the likely perpetrators and prevent further attacks. As Rose's wife, she had a responsibility to ensure Rose's health and comfort. Which obligation took precedence, though? Which title came first in this situation: Castle Warden or Rose's Wife?

Diana opened her eyes and looked down at the bushy-haired witch whose hand she was holding — the person who knew Rose Potter better than anyone else in the world. Without even having to be asked, Hermione said, "Rose would say that she can handle the pain. That she's used to it. She would agree to be awakened so she can help you catch whoever did this."

Diana nodded, knowing that that sounded like her. She thought about that fact for a moment, then looked back to Madam Pomfrey. "Keep her unconscious for as long as is safe and appropriate. We'll find out what she knows once she can wake comfortably." The school healer gave her an approving nod and promptly began pouring potions down Rose's throat and casting additional spells on her limbs.

"Why?" Hermione asked. "I said she wouldn't care about—"

"And I believe you," Diana interrupted. "But the reason she wouldn't care is because she's far too accustomed to people using her for their own goals rather than putting her well-being first. The fact that she allows it doesn't excuse it. I'd have been no better if I'd acted like the Castle Warden instead of her wife."

"Oh," Hermione said softly, biting her bottom lip.

"It's alright," Diana said as she squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "You're too accustomed to that as well. You both need to learn to start thinking of yourselves a bit instead of simply doing what others expect of you." She paused for a moment before adding more softly, "Perhaps that's something I need to work on as well."

"Quite right," McGonagall said. "Sometimes it takes an outsider to see when others are operating on faulty assumptions." She looked the two up and down for a moment, then gestured for them to separate. "Let me clean you up." A few spells got rid of the worst of the blood that had soaked into Hermione's robes as well as what had transferred over to Diana.

"I'm afraid I have other duties to attend to, especially since the Headmaster will be busy today," she said once she was done. "Call me if anything changes." As she headed out, she stopped at the smashed door and frowned back at Diana before using her wand to repair it. Or mostly repair it — it looked noticeably more worn than before and hung on its hinges at a slight angle now.

They'd just gone over to Rose's other friends to explain how things stood when another, smaller Gryffindor came running in, panting and out of breath. "Ron! Ginny!" he gasped. "You've got... to come... Quidditch tryouts! Katie says... if you don't... you won't be... considered for the team!"

"What?" Ron exclaimed, stunned. "Doesn't she know where we are and what happened?"

The smaller boy nodded unhappily.

"Colin, what about Rose?" Ginny said with narrowed eyes. "She certainly isn't going to make it to tryouts."

"She won't be out of bed until tomorrow at the earliest," Hermione added. "And even then, she'll probably have to take it easy for a few days."

Colin shook his head. "She doesn't seem to care if Rose can make it or not. She said that tryouts are for today only."

"Well, that's too bad," Ron growled. "You can go back there and tell that... that... that _witch_ that we—"

"Ron, no," Hermione interrupted. "Rose wouldn't want you to miss your chance at getting on the team."

"But she needs us here!' Ron protested.

"She's unconscious — she won't know one way or another," Hermione countered. "And she wouldn't be happy if you gave up playing Quidditch just to sit here, doing nothing. She'll know that you'd rather be here, and that's what matters."

"She's right," Ginny said. "I'd rather be here too, but she'd want us to have a chance to play. Especially if she can't."

"Fine," Ron said, his jaw set angrily. "We'll go, if only for a chance to throw it in Katie's face."

They all left after that, even Neville so someone would be there to support Ron and Ginny. Once Madam Pomfrey was done with her potions and spells, she said that they could sit with Rose, but cautioned them to talk softly so as not to disturb her before she woke naturally. They each sat in a chair on either side of her bed, both automatically reaching out and grasping one of her hands.

They sat like that for awhile, each silently lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't until Dobby brought lunch that they started talking again.

"Will being here create trouble for you with your school work?" Diana asked.

"It's still early, and I'm already well ahead in all my classes," Hermione answered with a shake of her head. "What about you? I know you have a lot to work on with castle security."

"True, but I don't want to leave her. I'd like to say that security can wait."

Hermione looked at her curiously. "Are you sure? Rose has mentioned how many responsibilities you have now. I can't imagine that you could drop them all like that."

Diana sighed. "I wish it weren't taking so long. Even if I were a witch like you, I'd still feel overwhelmed, but my inability to cast spells makes it worse."

"How is that working, anyway?" Hermione asked. "I was wondering about that. I mean, what can you do, if you can't cast spells?"

"The Headmaster wants me to keep the details quiet," Diana replied. "The less people know, the better. But I do have magic, even if it's different from yours. According to the Headmaster, the castle is... welcoming? He didn't explain in detail, but he seems to think that the castle is receptive to my presence and my kind of magic. Once he realized that, he became a lot more amenable himself to my being here."

"You make it sound like the Headmaster treats the castle as if it were a person."

Diana nodded. "It does seem almost that way, yes. Unfortunately, spellcasting is still required in some instances, so I need to have a member of staff helping me. The Headmaster thinks that this might get better over time, but he isn't sure."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Diana shook her head. "Rose offered as well, but there's too much that requires the authority of someone on staff. And it's all pretty complex magic, too, at least according to what the professors who've helped me have said."

"But not everything requires staff authority, right? I can at least help with that. I don't mean to brag, but I know quite a few more spells than Rose, and aside from Defense I learn new magic faster than she does, too." Hermione was sitting up a bit straighter now, a gleam in her eye. "It may be possible for Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledore to grant me some limited authority to handle even more. Unlike Rose, I'm already a prefect. That may not quite be staff, but it has to count for something."

Diana considered that. "It may be possible. I guess it's worth asking, because I could certainly use the help, and none of the staff can spare much time for me."

"You could use the time you save to spend with Rose," Hermione suggested.

"I regret spending so much time away from her, but I have to if I'm going to improve security here," Diana said sadly. "And castle security is her security."

"So go work on castle security some more. She won't know if you're here or gone right now anyway."

"I suppose you're right." Diana turned her head to look at Rose. "With luck, I might be able to turn up some useful information about what happened."

"You aren't going to go hunting down Slytherin students, are you?" Hermione asked, her voice low.

"Of course not!" Diana responded stiffly. Then she sighed. "Don't get me wrong — it's tempting. In fact, I don't think I've ever been more tempted. However..." She paused, gently moving a lock of hair away from Rose's forehead. "Mere revenge isn't justice, and your world seems to have a distinct lack of justice right now. Private feuds and vendettas will only make matters worse in the long run. Acting out of anger rarely turns out well for anyone."

"Good," Hermione said, and Diana smiled back at her.

"Will you be alright here alone?" Diana asked a moment later.

Hermione nodded and shifted her right hand, revealing that she'd been holding her wand the entire time. "I won't let anything happen. Besides, we both know that Dobby isn't far, even if we can't see him."

A soft pop at the foot of the bed revealed the truth behind Hermione's words. "Dobby will be here. Dobby will be watching his family!" Another pop, and he was gone again.

"Rose was concerned about having him protect her from being hexed by other students in the castle," Diana said.

Hermione nodded. "Dobby is... enthusiastic, to say the least. We'll have to talk to him about that, I suppose, but right now I think we'll be safer with that enthusiasm."

It was late when Diana finally made it back to the hospital wing. She tried to enter quietly, but she could see Hermione's wand pointed at her as soon as she stepped around the privacy screen. No words were said as she took up her position on the other side of Rose, holding her wife's other hand as they waited for her to awaken.

* * *

 **Sunday, September 8, 1996. Morning.**

Rose could feel the room around her getting brighter as she returned to consciousness. There was no light shining directly on her eyes, but the air around her was getting warmer and lighter. She started to wonder where she was, since the curtains around her bed in Gryffindor kept the morning light at bay. That was when she registered the pains all over her body. She groaned and automatically tried to shift to relieve the aching, only to find that it didn't work.

That was also when she discovered that both her hands were being held.

"Rose? Are you awake? How do you feel?"

It took her a moment to recognize the sleepy voice as Diana's, and she struggled to answer. "Sore. Wha' happen'd?"

"That's what we were going to ask you," came Hermione's voice from her other side, and Rose instinctively tried to turn in that direction, blinking against the sunlight streaming in the windows behind her. "No, don't move around too much," Hermione told her. "You broke a lot of bones, and Madam Pomfrey said you'd be sore for a while."

"Quidditch?" Rose asked. Injuries were part of the game, but she'd never been hurt this badly — and before the games had even started!

"No, you never made it to the tryouts," Diana responded.

"Wait... stairs?" Rose asked, grimacing as the memories started coming back.

"That's right," Diana said. "What can you remember about the stairs?"

Rose tried to shake her head, but immediately stopped and squeezed her eyes shut because of how much it hurt. "Fell? Not sure. Just... remember getting my broom. I was excited. Then... pain. Falling. That's it."

"You don't remember seeing anyone?"

"No, nothing. It all happened so fast..."

"So if she was attacked, it was from behind," Diana concluded. "And quietly, too, I suspect."

"A sixth or seventh year who can at least whisper spells, if not cast them silently," Hermione said.

"When?" Rose asked.

"It's Sunday morning," Hermione answered. "You've been here nearly twenty-four hours."

"Ugh," Rose said, turning to look at Diana. "I'm sorry I missed our dinner." She'd been so looking forward to that, too! It would have been the first nice, romantic dinner they'd had since arriving in Britain.

"It's alright, we can reschedule," Diana insisted.

 **Pop!**

"Missey Rosey! Missey Rosey is awake!" Dobby had appeared near the foot of the bed and was now hopping up and down and tugging on his ears again. "Dobby should have done more to help Missey Rosey! Bad Dobby!"

"No, Dobby!" Rose croaked, her voice still weak. "It's not your fault!"

"Dobby promises to do better! Dobby won't let his family be harmed again!" The fierce expression in the elf's large, yellow eyes caused Hermione and Diana to shift backwards slightly in their seats.

"Perhaps you could get Rose some breakfast?" Diana suggested.

"Not until I check her over," Madame Pomfrey announced, coming around the privacy screen.

Once the healer had declared herself satisfied with Rose's progress and had administered additional potions — including a welcome pain relieving potion — Rose was allowed to sit up and eat breakfast. A _large_ breakfast, which had taken Dobby three trips to bring. Towards the end, they were joined behind the privacy screen by their other friends, all of whom were happy to see Rose awake.

"How did tryouts go?" Rose asked, eager for some good news.

"Alright," Ron said, staring at his shoes. "I was able to make Keeper, though only barely."

"Congratulations!" Rose and Hermione both exclaimed.

"I was, uh... chosen for Seeker," Ginny said.

"Seeker?" Rose asked, not quite understanding.

"Yeah, Katie announced yesterday that that was the only day for tryouts — anyone who didn't come wouldn't get a chance," Ron answered. "We barely got there in time ourselves."

Rose opened and closed her mouth several times before she could finally manage, "And it didn't matter that I was unconscious? Injured? How could I possibly have gotten there?"

Ginny shook her head, and Ron still wouldn't meet her eyes. "I heard her say something about not wanting to share the team changing room with the wrong sort," Ginny said. "I don't think she knew I was standing behind her. Or maybe she didn't care."

Rose shrank back on the bed a little. "That's... I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The others in my dorm haven't looked comfortable with me around, especially where the bathroom is concerned."

When she saw Neville's surprised expression, Hermione added, "They don't go in there if Rose is there first, and they hurry out if she goes in after them. It hasn't been too obvious since she and I tend to get up earlier than them, but it is noticeable if you're paying attention."

"They won't change clothes when I'm around," Rose added. "And they get behind the curtains around their beds as fast as possible."

"I thought it was just Katie being... well, I guess I shouldn't say," Ron growled. "I didn't know the rest of them were doing it, too."

"I think part of it is all the rumors about Gryffindor witches," Hermione said. "You heard what Malfoy said, and I'd heard similar whispers before that."

"You mean, others are treating you all as if you're... well... you know?" Neville asked.

"Like we're all witches' witches? Cauldron lickers?" Ginny replied. "Absolutely. Hermione has it the worst, and I'm a close second, but all Gryffindor witches are being tarred with the same brush."

"I'm so sorry," Rose said. "I had no idea."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione insisted, giving Rose's hand a squeeze. "I wasn't exactly popular to begin with, but it wouldn't matter if I was."

"Exactly!" Ginny agreed. "And I don't care because my goal is to play Quidditch professionally. I've always wanted to join the Holyhead Harpies, and there have always been such rumors about them. Who knows, maybe this will help me? It's tough getting onto a professional team, so I'll take any advantage I can."

"There are?" Hermione asked. "But... but I thought that team was popular."

"They are," Ron replied. "One of the most popular in the league."

"But... why?" Hermione asked. "How can they be popular with such rumors going around about them, but we're shunned based on the same rumors?"

Ron shrugged. "Dunno. That's the way it is."

"Probably because it gives the men something non-threatening to fantasize about," Diana observed. "You, on the other hand, are a little too close to home." The others looked at her, eyes wide, and she shrugged. "I've repeatedly seen it in Patriarch's World. It's not a surprise to find the same thing here."

"I guess there's no point in worrying about it," Rose said in a tired, flat voice. "It's the way people are. I suppose I need to get used to it."

"But you shouldn't have to!" Ron insisted. "I don't feel threatened by... well, whatever you do, which I admit I try not to think about." Rose tried not to smile when his face turned red. "You shouldn't have to put up with others treating you worse just because they're stupid enough to feel threatened by something that doesn't even affect them."

"Yeah, you're a better Seeker than I am," Ginny said. "I like the position, but I'd rather play Chaser, to be honest. I think I do better there."

"After all you've done, not only for the team but for the school, they shouldn't treat you like this," Neville argued. "Why is being married to a woman more important than winning all those games, or saving us from the basilisk?"

"Than winning the Triwizard Tournament? Than fighting and exposing You-Know-Who?" Ron added.

"Why is being a muggleborn more important than one's personal achievements?" Hermione countered. "What she's experiencing isn't much different from what people like me have had to deal with all along."

Ron stared at her. "Really? I mean, I knew Malfoy and his friends were gits, but... it's really that bad?"

Hermione nodded. "It can be. He's among the worst, sure, but there are plenty of others who are more circumspect about being bigots."

"We had no idea," Neville said softly. "I guess we're kinda sheltered in Gryffindor."

" _Were_ sheltered, you mean," Ginny corrected, and the others nodded.

"I hate to say it, but now you're seeing people's true faces," Diana said. "It's easy to be kind and decent when surrounded by people much like yourself. Now that Rose has crossed an invisible line into an area that's 'off limits,' you're seeing how your fellow Gryffindors truly feel about outsiders."

"I'm not sure I'm as proud of being a Gryffindor now as I used to be," Neville said softly.

"That's only if you let _them_ define what being a Gryffindor means," Diana insisted. "You are all members of that house, too. You may be a minority, but they can't prevent you from living up to the standards you believe should matter the most."

"Well said, Mrs. Black, well said indeed," Dumbledore declared as he stepped around the edge of the privacy screen. Rose hadn't heard him approach and suspected that he'd been listening for a while.

"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore," they all said, and he nodded in return before continuing.

"I'm disappointed to hear about what you've been experiencing in Gryffindor, Mrs. Potter. Not surprised, but disappointed nonetheless. I'm sure Professor McGonagall will want to talk to Miss Bell about how she is handling the Quidditch team."

"It's alright, Professor," Rose said wearily. "I wouldn't want to be on the team if everyone feels like I've been forced on them. Team members have to be able to trust each other and work together."

Dumbledore looked at her with sympathy. "That's a very mature attitude. Still, it doesn't mean that Miss Bell's choices have been correct, and I suspect that your head of house will wish to make her displeasure known, even if it doesn't result in any changes. We can't stop people from private prejudice, but Miss Bell's position as Quidditch Captain comes with a responsibility to exercise her power in a manner that's consistent with Hogwarts' standards. By the same token, Professor McGonagall and I have a responsibility to ensure that certain choices, even if technically within the rules, have consequences." He gave Diana a significant look, and she inclined her head in acknowledgment.

"I'm pleased to see that you're awake," he continued, returning his attention to Rose. "I trust that you're feeling better? I'm sorry to say that I was unable to turn up any evidence about what exactly happened to you. None of the portraits saw anything, and no one heard anything. I don't suppose you remember anything that might assist us?"

Rose shook her head. "I remember falling. And pain. I don't remember hearing any spells."

"I checked the area late yesterday as well, but there was nothing to be found," Diana confirmed. She gave Dumbledore a hard look. "You do realize, don't you, that this is at least as much a security issue as it is a disciplinary one?" He raised a questioning eyebrow, which seemed to annoy her. "Rose here was nearly killed, even if that wasn't the intent. This isn't something that could be handled by a loss of points or privileges. It's a crime. Regardless of whether this crime was committed by intruders, staff, or students, the safety and security of at least one student is clearly at risk. That means I'm involved. And given who was targeted, you cannot expect me to simply stand aside and do nothing."

"And what would you suggest?"

"I want your agreement that, given the new situation, I have the authority to patrol the corridors and deal with students who are breaking the rules. I'll deliver them to a professor if it's a minor infraction and to you if it's something I deem more serious."

Dumbledore stroked his beard for several moments before nodding. "It pains me to see this sort of change come to Hogwarts, but I suppose it's a sign of the times. If our current procedures are insufficient to protect students, then adjustments need to be made."

"Thank you."

"I will keep you updated if anything turns up, Mrs. Potter. For now I'll leave you to spend time with your friends..."

"Oh, Headmaster?" Rose called, stopping him. "I had intended to come talk to you yesterday about something. I had detention with Snape on Friday, and he confiscated my father's cloak."

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected. "And why did he take the cloak? Were you using it?"

"Not at the time, but I've been carrying it around in case I have to go somewhere alone. I... I honestly don't feel safe in the corridors alone right now."

Dumbledore frowned deeply. "If you weren't using it to break any rules, he shouldn't have taken it. I'll have a talk—"

"Like that's ever stopped him," Ron muttered a little too loudly.

"Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, sir... it's just that... you know Snape, surely," Ron stammered.

"What Ron's trying to say is that he's never treated Rose fairly," Neville said. "But Friday's class was a new low, even for him."

"Indeed? Perhaps you could explain?"

They all had plenty of examples to offer, both past and present. Somewhat reluctantly, Rose also told them what happened at her detention. By the time they were done, the old man's face looked tired and sad, whereas Diana's expression appeared set in stone.

"Headmaster, I've already tried to approach him in peace, but he turned away," she said tightly. "I've also warned him against the sort of behavior he's clearly known for. Instead of moderating, however, he's getting worse. Rose convinced me not to do or say anything, but now that I've learned about how he acted in detention, away from witnesses, I'm starting to regret agreeing to her request. As I've already told you, there are limits to my patience."

"Diana—"

"No, Rose, you can't continually ignore this sort of behavior. Allowing him to continue out of fear that he'll get worse only gives him more power over you — and look how he's using that power! After five years of not complaining, have things improved or gotten worse?"

"Worse," she admitted.

"And how bad will they get if that trend continues? How bad will it be for the _next_ student he decides to target?"

"I promise, I will talk with him," Dumbledore said. "His position is... rather stressful. Hopefully he will recognize how that stress is affecting his behavior and make changes."

"Headmaster! Headmaster!"

Dumbledore stepped away from Rose's bed, and she saw Filch arrive, gesticulating wildly. "I don't think..." he started to say, but he was interrupted by Percy Weasley, who pushed his way forward.

"Miss Potter," he greeted her. "I see that you have company, but I'm here to talk to you about important Ministry business."

"It's Mrs. Potter," Rose corrected, but Percy didn't seem to have heard.

"We'll, ah, just leave," Neville said, leading Ron and Ginny away as they glared at their older brother.

"I was expecting to talk to you alone," Percy said once they were gone, looking briefly and with some disdain at Hermione and Diana. "I'm here as a personal representative of the Minister of Magic himself."

"Whatever you can say to me, you can say in front of them," she said, gripping tightly the two hands that had since found hers again.

"Very well, if you insist," Percy replied, puffing out his chest slightly. "First of all, the Minister is curious about why you've been ignoring his messages. It's quite rude, you know, to ignore personal missives from the Minister of Magic!"

Rose blinked in surprise. "I've honestly never received anything from the Minister. And except for the odd expulsion letter now and then, I haven't received anything from the Ministry, either."

Percy was clearly befuddled, not having expected this answer. Then he noticed that Rose was looking behind him. Turning, he came face-to-face with the Headmaster, who hadn't left yet.

"I'm afraid that's my fault," Dumbledore said serenely, not sounding particularly regretful. "Mrs. Potter has been receiving a tremendous amount of cursed mail, and I've been screening it for her safety."

"Letters from the Minister of Magic aren't cursed!" Percy protested.

"No, but as I've recently been reminded, I should be doing more to protect Mrs. Potter from harassment, and the post tends to be a significant source of it."

Even from behind, Rose could tell that Percy was turning red at the implied insult to his boss. "You can be sure that I'll be taking this up with the Minister as soon as I return to the Ministry!" he declared. "Tampering with owl post is a crime, you know." He then spun back around to face Rose again. "You have my sincerest apologies for any implicit accusation I may have made. You clearly weren't at fault, so you needn't worry about any ill consequences befalling you due to this unfortunate situation."

"Uh, great — glad to hear it," Rose said uncertainly. "Was that everything?"

"Not at all," Percy answered, sounding more confident again. "The Minister is looking forward to the development of a joint project between you and important Ministry officials dedicated to the suppression of the fear of the threat posed by You-Know-Who. That's what his missives were about, after all. He's most anxious for you to attend a strategy session to discuss how he and you can leverage your core competencies and harness the power He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named knows not. Then you can move forward on actualizing the important task of reinvigorating public morale and assisting the populace in understanding how the Ministry is ensuring their continued protection."

Rose stared at him for several long seconds, then said, "Huh?"

Percy looked flustered for a moment, then got even worse when Hermione clarified, "He means they want you as a propaganda poster girl."

"What? No! That's not it at all!" Percy retorted, but Rose started nodding while Diana tried to hide a grin.

"Yeah, that's kinda what I thought he said." Before he could speak again, Rose asked, "Tell me, Percy, what is the Ministry of Magic currently doing?"

"Doing?" Percy looked oddly confused.

"Sure, doing. What steps have been taken? What preparations have been made?"

"Well, the Minister has personally overseen the creation of a special training course for you, to get you ready to fight You-Know-Who. I've seen it and it's impressive. The best ever. A real testimony to our Minister's expansive knowledge and management skills. Once you place yourself under his authority, you'll learn all the best and latest duelling techniques from his personal bodyguards. The Minister also has press representatives standing by to write stories about your childhood, your training, and how you intend to save Wizarding Britain. We have several drafts already written, in fact. They'll be fantastic. The Minister has also been working on ways you can help calm the nation in the face of this threat — you know, encourage them to keep going to work, keep shopping, pay their taxes, that sort of thing. Giving in to fear would only mean that You-Know-Who has won, after all!"

Rose gaped at him, and she could tell by their silence that Hermione and Diana were similarly shocked. Even Dumbledore seemed not to know how to react.

"That's it?" she finally said. "What about tracking down and arresting Death Eaters? What about confiscating the vaults of those who have been supporting Voldemort? I know: why don't you offer some big rewards for Voldemort and his inner circle? 'Dead or Alive' works for me. Maybe a few of them will turn on each other to collect? At the very least, it will sow dissent and suspicion in their ranks."

"We can't do that!" Percy objected. "We don't have nearly enough aurors to go hunting for Death Eaters! We need them to protect the Minister and the Ministry! We don't have the resources for the rest of those ideas, either. The budget is very tight since the Minister spent the last several years trimming away all the useless fat. And of course, we won't need to bother with any of it once you kill You-Know-Who. With him gone, everything will immediately go back to normal for the Ministry! That's why it's so important that you do your job as soon as possible."

The more Percy talked, the angrier Rose became. It was precisely what she'd been so desperate to avoid: people insisting that if she simply did her duty and throw herself at an insane terrorist, then everything would be fine. She almost wished that Fudge was there so he could hear what she thought of those ideas.

It was Diana who spoke first, though. "Headmaster, you remember my comment that we need to be able to prevent random people from wandering into the castle? I seem to remember that you didn't think it was much of a problem. Would you care to reconsider?"

Rose was sure that she saw his mouth twitch slightly under his beard.

"Now see here!" Percy complained. "I'm not random! I'm a personal representative of the Minister for Magic himself! He's the most important man in the country!"

"And as Castle Warden, I'm in charge of security here," Diana retorted. "The way I see it, people without a valid educational purpose, or those who are not duly authorized officers of the law with a valid legal purpose, should not be able to enter unless specifically invited by the Headmaster."

"How dare you!" Percy's red face was starting to turn purple.

"You made that same argument before," Dumbledore told her, "and I must admit that I regret not giving it more consideration at the time. I agree that we'll need to make that a priority."

"Just you wait until the Minister hears about this!" Percy exclaimed. Then he rounded on Rose again. "Miss Potter, I still need an answer from you about the Minister's generous offer."

Rose briefly looked over to Diana, who nodded encouragingly. "You can tell him," Rose said acidly, "that if he wants to stay Minister so badly, maybe he should get up off his fat arse and do something more productive than using a teen girl for his propaganda! He threw me to the wolves last year in order to look better, now he's trying to throw me to Voldemort for the exact same reason. He hasn't changed!"

"Well! I never!" Percy huffed. "You haven't heard the last of this!" With as much dignity as he could muster, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room.

"I've met some awful politicians," Diana said slowly. "Every country has them. But that man... I've honestly never encountered anything like him. Are such attitudes and behavior common in your Ministry?"

"Thankfully, no," Dumbledore answered, sounding suddenly tired. "Yet at the same time, there are far more like him than I'd care to admit." He gazed at Diana, then at Rose for a moment before adding. "You handled that quite well, Mrs. Potter. Better than I would have expected, I must confess." Rose smiled at him before looking at Diana and squeezing her hand.

After a moment, Dumbledore nodded and said, "And now if you'll excuse me, I must return to work." He left as silently as he had come.

Diana couldn't let the matter of Percy rest, however. "How did someone like him even get an important job in your Ministry? Or any job there at all?"

"The Headmaster did make him Head Boy," Hermione observed, and Diana looked shocked.

"Well, his predecessor made Tom Riddle Head Boy, too," Rose pointed out. "So... progress?"

* * *

 **Sunday, September 8, 1996. Night.**

"Did you bring it?"

"Of course, but I still don't understand why you insist on pandering to the brat."

Dumbledore sighed, weary of the conversation already. "It's not pandering to return someone's property to them."

"Property they shouldn't have in Hogwarts!" Snape protested as he threw a piece of shimmering cloth onto the desk. "She uses this to break the rules, pull pranks, and harass other students with impunity, just like her father did! I can point to any number of incidents over the past five years where we could never find the perpetrator, and now I know why!"

"The mere fact that she is capable of doing something does not mean she is guilty of it, Severus. And you must rein in your tendency to blame everything on her. I know that the things I've had to ask of you this past year have been difficult, but taking out your frustrations on a teen girl is not the answer. You are better than this. You need to be better than this."

Snape scoffed. "She continually breaks the rules because she knows you won't punish her, no more than you punished her father and his friends when they did the same. She's been following in their footsteps from the minute she first entered this castle, and she gets worse every year. Perhaps if she'd been disciplined as a child instead of spoiled and pampered, things would be different. Perhaps then, she might stand a chance against the Dark Lord. But no, clearly no one has ever taught her proper behavior."

"Enough, Severus!" Dumbledore said, and there was a hint of steel in his voice. "This vendetta you have against Miss... I mean, Mrs. Potter must cease. It's counterproductive. We need to educate and train her, not crush her."

"She needs to be brought to heel. She doesn't stand a chance against the Dark Lord if she continues to slack off, spending more time harassing other students instead of working as she should. She has to be pushed, too, or she won't learn nearly enough in whatever little time she has left before the inevitable confrontation. And why are you pandering to this ridiculous notion that she's married? It doesn't matter what perversions the Americans put up with — two women cannot marry!"

"I heard about how you are pushing her, and about her duel with Mr. Malfoy. I'm assuming that she was in far less danger than she thought?"

"I was ready to cast a shield, if she proved too inept to handle the challenge." Snape grimaced, as if the admission caused him pain.

Dumbledore nodded. "Your oaths wouldn't allow you to deliberately place her in a situation that truly threatened her life, but even the appearance of doing so is counterproductive. I must insist that you be more even-handed in how you run Defense classes. Blame me if you must, but you cannot continue as you have been."

"And if the vaunted 'Chosen One' isn't ready because she hasn't learned enough magic?"

"You are more likely to push her away and discourage her than inspire her to improve herself. You are also risking the ire of Diana Black. I'll admit that I didn't originally want her here, but now that she is, we need to work with her. She is taking her job seriously, and that can only benefit our cause. However, I don't know how much longer she will hold back in defense of young Mrs. Potter, especially not after the attack yesterday. Despite Mrs. Black's assurances that she abhors violence, I would not want _her_ to catch the ones responsible." He focused on his new Defense professor, hoping that the stubborn man would heed his warning. "If you learn anything about it, if you discover that any of your Slytherins were in any way involved... Severus, you _must_ come to me immediately. It's the only way I can help them."

"That woman is a squib at best," Snape said with a sneer. "She may be physically strong, but that's of no use against magic. I'm not afraid of her." He stood up a bit straighter. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important work to do. Some miscreants decided that it would be amusing to break into my private potions stores and switch the labels on all of the ingredient jars, then move them around. It will take me all night to fix this mess!"

"I thought you had strong wards on your private stores?"

"I do," Snape spat. "Not even Horace can get in, despite how often he pressures me. Someone found a way through, though, and without leaving any evidence behind. I'd suspect Potter if I didn't know she was in the hospital, so it was probably the Weasley brats. And once I prove it was them, I'll see to it that they're expelled!" With that, he spun around and stalked out of the office, his robes billowing behind.

Dumbledore gathered up the cloak and stared at it for a long moment before placing it gently in a drawer. _That didn't go at all the way I had hoped._ _I'll have to try again later when he's in a more receptive mood..._

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, Diana was patrolling the corridors. Between her enhanced speed and her ability to sense the close presence of other people — especially witches and wizards, whom she found tended to stand out like a bright light in a darkened room — she was able to make one circuit of the entire castle every half hour, even with breaks to pull students from broom cupboards. She then followed that up by a half-hour patrol of the outer areas around the castle.

She intended to do this five or six times a night, every night. She thanked Hermes that she didn't need to sleep as much as normal humans, though she knew that her schedule would catch up to her eventually. It also wouldn't help her desire to spend more time with Rose, though she assuaged her guilt by telling herself that she was doing all this for Rose's sake.

She always took time to pause on the seventh floor, at the top of the main stairs down to the Entrance Hall. The spot where Rose fell. The Headmaster had yet to produce any evidence of who might have done it, and it was looking like he probably wouldn't be able to.

"Never again," she whispered to herself as she clutched the stone railing hard enough for it to crack.

From a darkened corner nearby, two large, green eyes watched.


	11. Upping the Ante

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Samsara_ , by Countess Millarca. Lily Potter was the smartest witch of her generation, and because of her love she lives on in her son's blood.. Tom Riddle was probably the smartest wizard of his generation, and his work with the darkest of arts has caused him to live on in Harry Potter as well. When Harry wakes on his eighth birthday, both are gone. Yet at the same time, they remain, and Harry will never be the same.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Upping the Ante**

 **Saturday, September 13, 1996, Evening.**

It had been almost a week since the attack, and Rose was finally feeling strong enough to hold the first DA meeting. No evidence had been found regarding who had attacked her — likely with a tripping jinx — and Rose doubted that any would be, short of someone being stupid enough to blab. Which, to be fair, wasn't completely impossible, but she wasn't holding her breath.

In the meantime, there was work to be done.

Rose paused as she looked around the Room of Requirement. Last year when she started teaching other students, the crowd had been huge — far larger than she'd been comfortable with, frankly. This year, though, was different. Far fewer students had shown up for this first meeting. Aside from Ron, Neville, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, and Seamus, they had Colin and his brother Dennis from Gryffindor, Susan from Hufflepuff, and Luna from Ravenclaw. That was it.

Rose had only just started addressing the small group when Diana entered the Room of Requirement, running late. What she lacked in punctuality she more than made up for in presentation, though, because under her robe she was wearing traditional Amazonian leather and bronze armor, causing everyone to stop and stare. Even Rose, who'd seen her in that outfit quite often, had trouble getting her brain back on track.

"Everyone," she said when she could manage it, "you've seen Diana around. She started training me this summer in things that I intend to train you on as well, namely dodging, fitness, and grappling."

"No spells?" Seamus asked, sounding disappointed.

"Oh, we'll still do offensive and defensive spells," Rose replied. "Not only will we practice more advanced spells, but also the silent casting that's expected of us. But as you saw or at least heard from my first Defense class, the ability to dodge can put you way ahead of an opponent. Malfoy threw everything he had at me, and by the end he could barely stand."

"He did look ridiculous," Dean agreed, and the others laughed.

"Why don't you show them?" Diana suggested, and Ron volunteered to help. As in class, he cast numerous spells as quickly as he could, but Rose simply dodged or rolled to evade them. Soon she started closing the gap, which made it somewhat harder for her. Eventually, she was close enough to grab his wrist with one hand and his throat with the other. The red-headed wizard froze, his eyes wide in shock.

"Does everyone see what she did?" Diana asked the silent room. "Had Ron been a real opponent, there are several things she could have done to him once she got that close. All of them would have hurt, and several would put him out of the fight entirely."

"Especially if I broke his wand as well," Rose added as she stepped back from an abashed Ron.

"That was brilliant," he said. "Scary, but brilliant." Both Rose and Hermione grinned.

"I wouldn't have done nearly so well against someone who understands how to fight like that," Rose told the group. "But if you're up against someone who's unfamiliar with such tactics, you don't need to be an expert. I only needed a month to learn what I can do. It was an intense month, but if you work at it I think you'll only need a couple of months to get reasonably good."

"Keep in mind that your enemies will not be idle once they see how effective such tactics are," Diana cautioned them. "They will immediately try to counter you, for example by using small, bladed weapons up close. So you'll have to keep getting better as well. 'Reasonably good' will only help for a short while, though even once can still save your life."

Rose let Diana take the lead in lining everyone up and showing them both basic moves and the exercises they needed to do in order to improve fitness and stamina. None of them were thrilled, but after Rose's demonstration they were convinced. It helped that they were there not for the sake of grades or to make up for a bad professor, but rather because they recognized the dangers that existed in their society and knew that Rose truly wanted to help them be safe.

* * *

"You did well," Diana said to Rose as the students started leaving. "You're demonstrating how much you've learned by teaching it to others."

"Thanks, but I still feel clumsy and slow most of the time," Rose replied, running one hand through her hair. She didn't think she'd ever get good enough — certainly not good enough to fight one-on-one with a wizard like Voldemort.

"You don't look it," Neville commented.

"Yeah, and you certainly put in enough work," Hermione added. "A couple of hours each morning, now, isn't it?"

"That much?" Diana asked. "We already meet three or four days a week to train during your free periods."

"I... I need more," Rose insisted. She hadn't wanted Diana to know how difficult all this was for her. "There's so much I still need to learn, and I'm not going to get better if I laze about. Besides, it's better for me to get out of the dorm early." Diana frowned briefly but didn't say anything. Rose was sure that she was disappointed in her. "I don't suppose you have free time this evening?" Rose asked softly.

"I'm sorry, no. I'm late for my patrol schedule as it is."

"Will you need me?" Hermione asked. Rose looked away, not wanting them to know how much that hurt. It hadn't even been a week since Dumbledore had allowed Hermione to help Diana, basing it on her status as prefect, and already they'd been out together three times.

Diana shook her head. "No, this is just a security patrol, but I was thinking of doing another review of some of the specialized wards tomorrow. However..." She turned to look at Rose again.

"Don't worry about it," Rose said quickly, refusing to meet her gaze as she packed up her bag. "I've got a lot of work to do anyway, There are several essays due next week that I need to work on."

"Maybe tomorrow...?"

"No, it's OK, really," Rose said, hurrying out of the room.

* * *

The next few weeks settled into a routine — an unpleasant routine, given that Rose continued dealing with nasty looks and insults — but it was a routine nonetheless. At least the hexes seemed to have stopped, though in their place was a mysterious spate of students tripping, losing things, or finding themselves stuck to corridor walls.

Slytherin students suffered the worst and were frequently seen in the hospital wing. Snape was constantly in a foul mood as a result — even more than usual, especially after his personal quarters were rumored to have had everything broken beyond even magical repair. Yet despite all this, he still seemed to be a little less nasty towards Rose.

Rose and her friends were among the few never affected, which soon led to suspicions about their involvement. There was no proof that they had anything to do with it, however, and in all honestly, they were as much in the dark as everyone else.

Rose might have been able to acclimate herself to the situation given a chance, but Fate seemed to have decreed that she was having too easy of a time.

At least, that was what she concluded when she read the late-September headline in the _Daily Prophet:_

 **MINISTRY SUSPECTS YOU-KNOW-WHO  
BEHIND MUGGLE ATTACKS!**

 **Girl Who Lived Nowhere in Sight!**

 _ **by Seamus Hammity**_

"What is it this time?" she asked Hermione when she saw what her friend was reading. Rose had long ago given up on reading Wizarding Britain's worst source for news, but Hermione believed it was important to know what the enemy was saying.

"Nothing good," she replied, though Rose could sense that Hermione's reaction was a lot worse than she was letting on. She nudged her friend to encourage her to talk.

Hermione grimaced. "It's just that V-Voldemort seems to be attacking an unusually high number of muggle targets. He's not leaving obvious traces of magic, or at least nothing obvious to the muggles themselves, but the Ministry is pretty sure about what's happening. And it's got them worried."

"I suppose they're blaming me?" Rose asked, dejected.

"Not directly, but..."

"Out with it — what's the bad news?"

"Well, at one point they ask how long it will be before you 'do your job,' and later someone named Andrei Dimbart is quoted as suggesting that your problem might be that you're being distracted from your duty. Probably by the harlot who trapped you in an illegal sham of a marriage."

"Figures," Rose sighed, tossing her toast back onto her plate. She didn't feel hungry anymore, despite the two-hour workout earlier that morning.

"Maybe Professor Slughorn will stop pestering you to attend one of his little dinner gatherings?" Luna suggested.

Rose snorted. "Fat chance."

"I'm surprised they're admitting to an attack like that," Neville said slowly. "All summer, they've been insisting that everything's fine. Attacks that I know have happened didn't get mentioned at all."

"They're only muggles," Hermione said bitterly. "What hurts them doesn't matter to most wizards and witches."

"Why attack muggles, though?" Ron asked.

"A threat to the Ministry?" Neville wondered. "Surrender, or I'll do this to you?"

"Maybe it's to entertain his followers?" Rose suggested. "They hate muggles, so whatever they're doing probably counts as 'fun' in their twisted minds."

"Or maybe even recruitment," Hermione said. "Showing supporters what they have to look forward to. Tests for witches and wizards who want to join. That sort of thing."

Neville looked queasy. "That's even worse than my idea."

"It's not going to stop with muggles," Rose said grimly. "Whatever he does to them, he'll end up doing to anyone he thinks is inferior or who gets in his way. And _everyone_ who doesn't bow down and submit to him."

Rose's voice carried beyond her circle of friends, and despite the general hostility towards her, her message did as well. More people came to the next meeting of the DA — not many, but a few.

* * *

 **Early October, 1996, Night. Hogwarts.**

On a late mid-October night, after an especially bad Friday which itself came after an especially bad week — or maybe they only felt especially bad — the door to Diana's darkened quarters seemed to open and close all on its own. A moment later Rose Potter's head appeared, floating in mid-air.

"Diana?" she called.

Not getting a response, she pulled her invisibility cloak off entirely and looked around. It didn't take long for her to establish that Diana wasn't there as she'd expected, so she flopped onto the small couch, annoyed and even more upset than she had been when she'd arrived. _Hermione was still in the common room, so it's not like they're out working together again..._

The minutes ticked by and Rose's annoyance didn't diminish, but her ability to stay awake did. The schedule she'd been keeping left her with little time to rest and few hours to sleep, so it was hardly surprising that after less than fifteen minutes of waiting, she was slumped over sideways and fast asleep.

* * *

Diana was about to leave the seventh floor landing and continue her patrol when she felt a presence. It appeared seemingly out of nowhere and approached from behind, then it stopped and retreated slightly. She saw nothing.

She tensed and waited, yet even though the feeling subsided, she wasn't prepared to dismiss it. She knew she could use the map which Rose had loaned her, but there was far more value in training herself to use her senses in the presence of magic.

Diana made her way back along the seventh-floor corridor, past the Gryffindor common room where she knew Rose would be sleeping, and around a corner towards an ugly tapestry when she realized that she'd come upon the presence. However, there was no one around.

She paused for a moment next to a darkened alcove. Then, faster than any human eye could follow, she spun and reached into the shadows. There she seized a handful of cloth and yanked hard, her left fist raised and ready to strike. A pale-haired student abruptly appeared, and she found herself holding the front of his robes.

"Let me go, you stinking—"

Whatever he was going to say was lost to a yelp of pain when her left hand lashed out to grab his right. She didn't crush it, but she did squeeze hard enough to force him to drop the wand he was raising to aim at her.

"You were saying?" she asked. Now that she got a good look at him, his blonde hair and sharp facial features were unmistakable. Although no one had been able to find any evidence pointing to who tried to kill Rose, this was one of the prime suspects.

"Ah, my hand!"

"Yes, your hand. The hand that no longer holds the weapon you were attempting to use against me. Are you aware that it's well past curfew, Draco Malfoy?"

She was tempted to keep squeezing. Was this the same hand that had been raised against Rose? That had nearly killed her wife? Unfortunately, there was no proof that he was involved at all, much less that he had cast the nearly-fatal spell.

"What?" he gasped, staring in disbelief at how strong her grip was.

There would likely be bruising in the morning, but she resisted the urge to do worse. If only she had permission to use her lasso on the students...

"Did I stutter?" she asked, lifting him up by the front of his robes so his feet were dangling above the ground. "Are you aware that it's past curfew?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"So you know you were breaking the rules. Good. The headmaster's office is closest, so why don't we go there." Diana released him, and when he stumbled back, clutching his hand, she quickly snatched up his wand.

"Give me that back!"

"I'll return it to the Headmaster. He can decide what to do with it." She started walking away, but then paused after a few steps and turned to look at him, still standing there. "Are you coming?"

"I don't have to obey you!" Draco hissed angrily.

"Let me rephrase: are you coming, or must I carry you? If I do, you won't enjoy how I choose to do it."

Draco managed to blanch, despite how pasty his skin already was, and after a moment's hesitation he began to follow. Diana was about to give the password when the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office stepped aside on its own and Professor Snape appeared, descending the stairs.

"What's this?" he demanded, looking back and forth between the two.

"She assaulted me! Wait until my father hears about this!"

"Your Death Eater father, you mean?" Diana asked. "I wasn't aware that cowardly terrorists held any sway in this school."

"Why, you—"

"Now, now, Draco," Snape cautioned. "There's no need for that. If she did indeed assault you, we can simply file a report with the aurors—"

"It would be more accurate to say that I prevented an assault when I stopped him from raising his wand against me," Diana interrupted, holding up the wand in question. "I'd be happy to testify in court, if necessary." She looked down at the boy. "How about you, Draco Malfoy? Willing to risk a trial over this? Would you allow yourself to be compelled to tell the truth about what you were doing?"

Malfoy gave a short, vehement shake of his head and refused to meet anyone's eyes.

Snape looked disgusted. "Very well, then," he snapped. "Since he was out after curfew, I'll take care of assigning punishments."

"Thank you," Diana said cooly, handing over the wand. "I'll be sure to check the logs to see what happens."

Snape refused to reply; instead he grabbed the young wizard's shoulder and roughly pulled him along towards the dungeons. Once they turned the far corner, he began admonishing Draco for his carelessness, unaware of how Diana's hearing had been enhanced by the blessing of Artemis.

"You foolish child, I can't believe you allowed yourself to get caught! And by her, of all people! I informed everyone in Slytherin about her nightly patrol schedule to avoid exactly this sort of situation. So far you're the first and only Slytherin she's found."

"She shouldn't have found me!" Draco whinged. "I was disillusioned and in a shadowed alcove — I was perfectly hidden!"

"You were probably breathing too loudly, like a dunderheaded Gryffindor. Even if she wasn't going to check up on your punishment, you wouldn't get off lightly. You'll be serving detention with me for two weeks."

"Two weeks! I don't have time for—"

"Yes? What exactly do you need the time for? If you need help..."

"No! He told me I had to do this alone!"

"Foolish child..."

* * *

Diana froze when she opened the door to her quarters, instantly aware of a sound that didn't belong. After a moment she realized it was light snoring — snoring that she recognized well. Once inside, she found Rose lying on her couch, fast asleep.

"Rose," she said, gently shaking the teen's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh... Diana..." Rose yawned as she sat up, and Diana took the seat next to her, putting her arm around the smaller girl as she snuggled up against her.

"Is something wrong? Did something happen today?"

"Not exactly. I mean, nothing new. It's just... everything. It's been a long week."

"Are you still getting attacked in the halls?"

"Just snide comments, for the most part," Rose said. "I haven't been hexed in a while, though other students are getting hexed by _somebody_. Still haven't figured that one out. Slughorn is still creepy. Binns is still boring. Snape..."

"Has he gotten worse again?"

Rose shrugged. "He's still better than that first day. Better than the past five years? Not by much. ...Well, maybe a bit, I guess, but it's harder to take in Defense than it was in Potions."

"Maybe the Headmaster will need to talk to him again," Diana suggested.

"Let's wait and see," Rose said as she burrowed deeper into Diana's side. "I've missed you. I've missed this. There's not enough snuggling during training."

Diana chuckled softly. "True. Maybe I should recommend to my mother that she have our trainers make time for snuggling with their students. It's sure to improve morale." Rose joined her in laughter, and they both sat like that for a bit, relaxed and happy, until Diana finally said, "You can't stay, you know."

"But we hardly ever see each other!"

"It's gotten a bit better since Hermione started helping me with some of the magical aspects of the castle's defenses. She can't do everything, not even with the extra authority the Headmaster gave her, but I don't have to wait for a professor to be free nearly as often now. For the most part, it's only the Headmaster himself that I need to be with, since there are parts of the castle's defenses that only he is normally privy to."

"I wish I could help you instead of her. Then we'd have even more time together. It's not fair. Sometimes, it seems like you two spend more—"

"I know, and not having quarters together is getting harder to deal with, but it's after curfew."

"So? I don't have class tomorrow."

"Rose, I just caught Draco Malfoy out after curfew and sent him to be punished, so I can hardly facilitate _you_ being out after curfew, can I?"

"Fine!" Rose declared, standing up and stomping towards the door. "I'll go, then."

"Wait, I'll go with you—"

"I can find my own way!"

"No, I don't want you to get caught..."

Rose whipped out her invisibility cloak, her motions clipped as she wrapped it around her until only her head was showing. "Don't worry about me, I won't get caught. I never do." Diana watched as Rose's head disappeared as well before the door opened and closed.

"I don't need a mother anymore!" she heard the young witch mutter as she left.

She leaned forward and put her head in her hands, her emotions careening from anger to sadness to loneliness and back again. The intensity of her reaction surprised her. _Why am I feeling like this? Lack of sleep hardly seems like an adequate explanation..._

* * *

 **Mid-October, 1996, Evening. Hogwarts.**

"Are you absolutely certain you wish to be involved with this?" Dumbledore asked. "I'd much rather give this information to Mrs. Potter alone and let her choose later with whom she shares it, if anyone at all."

"If this is related to Voldemort or any other dangers Rose might face, then of course I insist on being involved," Diana said, her voice tight. Dumbledore nodded reluctantly, glancing over at Rose, who also stood stiffly on the other side of his desk. What was more curious was the fact that she didn't say anything in defense of Diana's participation. Her face clearly indicated that she agreed, but she kept silent.

This fit with other small bits of evidence he'd observed over the past few weeks, all pointing to a growing tension between the two. Perhaps if a rift had formed much earlier, he wouldn't have had to deal with Diana at all, but she was clearly committed by this point. As a result, a rift between them was more disappointing than anything else. It was important that Rose maintain positive connections to those around her, even the more inconvenient ones.

"Very well, but before we begin I do have one other issue to bring up. The repeated hexing that many students have been experiencing in the corridors."

"I certainly know what that's like," Rose muttered.

"Yes, indeed," Dumbledore said. "But that has changed. In recent days, you and your friends are some of the only students who haven't been hexed. And over time, the injuries have been getting worse. Do you know anything about this?"

Rose sighed. "As I've told Professor Snape multiple times, I have no idea what's happening. _I_ certainly haven't been doing it." Just then her brow furrowed, as if a thought had struck her, but she didn't say anything further.

Dumbledore peered at her over his half-moon spectacles for a long moment. He believed her, but it looked as though she might have her own suspicions as to the culprit's identity. He didn't have time to delve deeper into it right now, however. "Well, if you are certain, then we should move on to the purpose of this evening's meeting. I have over here a device which Mrs. Potter should be familiar with already. It's known as a pensieve. It allows for the storage and viewing of memories. In it I have placed an important memory, one where I'd like the two of you to join me so we can view it together."

"This seems like a useful tool. Are they common?"

"No, they are not," Dumbledore answered. "Nor are they quite as useful as I think you imagine. For an old man like myself, who has far too many things to remember, it helps for sorting through personal history and identifying small facts long thought forgotten."

"You don't use them in court cases?" Diana asked.

"No. Memories can be altered. What's more, this can only show what you remember seeing, and magic can do much to cause one to sincerely believe falsehoods. I'm sure you can think of a couple of examples, Mrs. Potter?" Dumbledore was looking at Rose.

"Uh... Polyjuice! I might remember seeing someone commit a crime, but it wasn't them at all."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, that is but one of many reasons why these devices never caught on more widely. Only a few of us find them truly useful, which is why they are rare."

"Nevertheless, they are accurate?" Diana pressed. "I mean, they accurately reveal what a person remembers happening?"

"Yes, they do, provided a person hasn't tried to alter their own memories, of course. Why?"

Diana looked meaningfully at Rose. "I can think of a few memories I'd like to share."

Rose looked briefly puzzled, then her eyes lit up in understanding. Her smile, when it came, seemed to ease some of the tension between them. Dumbledore was curious about what the young woman had in mind, but decided it would be best not to ask. "Perhaps I can find one for you — they do come up for sale every so often. Or, barring that, let you borrow mine if you don't need it for long. Now, if you would, place a finger into the pensieve and you will soon find yourself in the memory."

Rose and Diana did that, joining Dumbledore as they followed Bob Ogden's visit to the Gaunts in 1936.

"So, that was Voldemort's relatives?" Rose asked once they were back and sitting down again.

"Indeed, his mother, his grandfather, and his paternal uncle. You might even have caught a glimpse of his father through the window."

"That poor woman!" Diana exclaimed. "If her family behaved that way in front of a visitor, I shudder to think what abuses she must have endured when there was no one else around. A father is meant to love and protect his daughter, not treat her as a slave!"

"It's little wonder that she chose to flee as soon as she had a chance," Dumbledore replied.

"I assume there's a story behind that?" Rose asked.

"Indeed, and a sad one, too," Dumbledore said. "Not long after that memory, both her father and her brother were taken to Azkaban. For the first time in her life, she was free from their tyranny, and I believe she decided to make the most of that opportunity. How exactly she convinced Tom Riddle to run off with her, I cannot say, but I strongly suspect that she used a love potion. At some point she got pregnant and decided to stop potioning Tom, possibly because of potential danger that brewing might have posed to the baby, but I'd like to think that it was because she hoped that he'd have fallen in love with her naturally, especially with a child on the way. Sadly that was not the case, however, and he left her. Alone, penniless, and pregnant, she wandered for some time before ending up on the steps of a muggle orphanage in London, in labor. She died almost immediately after giving birth, but not before saying that her infant son be named after his father and her own father: Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Such a tragedy!" Diana said, shaking her head. "And to think that she still respected those two men enough to name her son after them both. If only someone could have saved her."

"I wonder if he was destined to become such a horrible person, what with being named after two horrible people himself," Rose added.

"You don't sound sympathetic," Dumbledore observed, looking at Rose.

"It's awful what she had to go through, but that hardly excuses what she did," Rose replied. "I mean, using potions like that is basically rape, isn't it? Of course he left her. His child didn't deserve to be abandoned by him, sure, but he might not have even known, so I'm reluctant to blame him — not that he sounded like a nice person in the first place."

"Don't you sympathize with her at all?" Diana asked.

"I did in the memory," Rose agreed. "But I stopped once she decided to take Tom Riddle's free will away and use him like she did. She used and abused her power over Tom. She didn't do it in the same way that her father and brother abused their power over her, but it was a similar sort of thing."

"What she did was indeed wrong, but isn't it natural to want to do anything to escape such abuse?"

Rose raised one eyebrow. "I didn't. And I'd like to think that I never would have stooped so far."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You both have valid points. What happened to poor Merope was wrong, but that does not excuse the wrongs she later committed. What's important, I think, is to condemn the actions rather than the person. After all, she did act out of love rather than the spite and hate we saw in her relatives. And her last act was to give her son whom she loved the names of two men whom she also presumably loved, despite their many faults."

Diana nodded, but Rose wasn't done. "Having good motives only takes you so far. You can hurt someone you love a whole lot more than someone you hate, even when you have the best of intentions. Perhaps _especially_ when you have the best of intentions."

Dumbledore went still, then nodded. "That is true. It's something that many tend to forget, I think, even I myself." He was quiet for a bit before he went on, his manner more businesslike. "Well, that was all I wanted to show you tonight, and I think you both understand the importance of it. I think it would be best if we ended now, though we can discuss it more next time."

* * *

 **Thursday, October 31, 1996, Morning.**

Rose had long hated Halloween. Not even while living at the Dursleys had she ever been fond of it, but ever since learning that her parents had been murdered on Halloween, she'd hated it. The fact that after entering the wizarding world awful things kept happening to her on that date hadn't helped. So Rose fully expected something dreadful to happen at some point when she came down to breakfast, and Fate wasn't one to disappoint.

 **MUGGLEBORNS MURDERED!**

 **Girl Who Lived Does Nothing!**

 _ **by Rita Skeeter**_

 _Across Britain, witches and wizards unlucky enough to have been born to muggle parents were murdered over the past two days. Sources within the DMLE have revealed that the unfortunate victims were all tortured extensively, sometimes with family members, before being killed and having the Dark Mark cast above their homes. Even veteran aurors got ill when viewing the grisly scenes, and investigators have been overwhelmed with the amount of work necessary to identify all the bodies._

 _And where is the Girl Who Lived? Where is the one chosen by Fate to be our savior? Spending time with the American floozy she brought home at the end of the summer, according to reports coming out of Hogwarts. Students who wish to remain anonymous have told this reporter that she is seen nearly every day heading off alone with the older woman, only to return an hour or two later looking flushed and with her robes disheveled. Readers will have to imagine what they are getting up to behind closed doors, but as this is a family paper we won't risk contributing to the delinquency of minors by exploring all the lewd and lascivious details. Those two may lack any sense of morality and decency, but we do not!_

 _We must, however, ask why Ministry officials have allowed this situation to go on for so long. Is it not possible for our Minister to order the women separated, possibly by having that sapphic seductress deported back to the land of the corrupted and home of the wicked? Is it not possible for our Wizengamot to pass laws that will protect us all from the perverse predations of such unnatural creatures? If something isn't done soon, there won't be a Wizarding Britain left to save!_

"So, what are you two getting up to every day?" Ginny asked after Rose was done banging her head against the table.

"Training!" Rose insisted. "Just training! I _wish_ there was something more salacious to report, but there isn't!"

"Oh?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"We don't get enough time together for anything more," Rose muttered. "It's been two months!"

"I believe her," Luna said placidly as she dished up more strawberries.

"And why's that?" Ron asked.

"Too many wrackspurts," Luna answered. "She had a few when she first arrived in September, but they're all around her now. They've been breeding like mad."

"So... having sex forces these wack-thingies to be celibate?" Neville asked, his expression somewhere between confused and horrified.

Luna paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face. "I hadn't thought about it in those terms before. I always thought that they were simply driven away by all the sweat and loud noises. But maybe you're right, Nev. Maybe the sight of humans having sex makes them so ill that they choose celibacy. Instead of being noisy, maybe Diana and Rose need to be more kinky. Maybe invite some friends, too! I'll have to suggest that to daddy as a topic of in-depth research. Thanks!" She then went back to eating her strawberries, completely ignoring how Hermione choked on her bacon or how Ron had been sprayed with Ginny's pumpkin juice.

"You alright there, Hermione?" Rose asked, handing her a napkin.

"Yeah... sorry..." Hermione answered between coughs. "That was just... unexpected."

"You don't expect her to get predictable, do you?" Out of the corner of her eye, Rose thought she saw a smile flash briefly across Luna's face.

"No, I probably shouldn't," Hermione said after taking a drink. "But how about you? How are _you_ doing?"

"I'm fine," Rose said. "It is Halloween, after all." She gestured at the paper. "I expect this sort of thing. Well, I've come to expect it all year round, to be honest, but I know that it's pretty much guaranteed to happen today." A worried frown crossed her features. "How secure is your parents' home?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied, paling. "I should write to them. Ask them to take precautions."

Rose nodded. "Use Hedwig. I'll check with Diana to see if she can help." She looked up at the head table, where it looked as though her wife was taking the article far less calmly.

"Headmaster, I can assure you that Rose and I have never—"

"It's quite alright, my dear. I don't believe a word of what they said about you."

"You don't? Well... thank you. But why?"

Dumbledore smiled. "While I would be surprised if there weren't some intimate behavior from time to time, we all know that you have perfectly serviceable quarters with a nice, comfortable bed you can use, if you wish. While there may be something alluring about such activities in a classroom, in the long run a soft bed will undoubtedly win out over cold, hard floors any day. Or even a cold, hard desk. Then again, maybe that's just my age and old joints talking,"

Diana looked taken aback at the Headmaster's frankness. "Well... again, thank you."

"Nevertheless," he continued, "we must be mindful of the fact that reality and perception are almost inevitably different. No matter how hard we labor to remain upright in reality, we can still be greatly harmed by negative perceptions, however mistaken. And we must therefore take care to avoid such harm."

"So..."

"So, I must ask for you to exercise greater discretion in your activities, regardless of how innocuous they may be. It's unfair, I know, but the longer we can delay the Ministry from taking direct action, the better. I'm sure Rose told you what it was like last year when they decided to involve themselves here at Hogwarts."

Diana nodded. "I understand. You're in a difficult situation, and we're not making it any easier for you."

"But you're not sorry," Dumbledore observed.

"I regret making your job more difficult," Diana admitted, "but no, I'm not sorry for being here and doing what's necessary to keep Rose safe."

* * *

 **Thursday, October 31, 1996, Evening.**

Rose had been in a bad mood all day, worse than usual, and only started feeling better when it was finally time for the Halloween Feast. It wasn't because she was especially looking forward to the feast itself, but rather because it meant that Halloween would soon be over. She resisted the urge to sigh in relief and tried to bring her wandering thoughts back to the present.

"Does she think someone will be able to help?" Hermione was asking her.

Rose nodded. "We didn't have much of a chance to talk after today's practice because she had to go in a different direction from me afterwards, but she said she'd get a message to her mother to ask for someone to watch over your parents, at least for a little while."

"That's really generous of her! I haven't sent my letter with Hedwig yet, so I'll include that. Will it be someone she trusts?"

"She says she'd trust any Amazon with her life, but she's hoping that someone she's particularly close to will be able to come. Keep in mind that Amazons tend to be pretty intense, so whoever it is may not get along with your parents all that well."

Hermione smirked. "My parents have lots of experience dealing with difficult patients. You should hear some of their stories! I'm sure they can handle one Amazon. They'll be fine."

"If you say so," Rose said, trailing off when she noticed owls flying in. "I thought owl delivery was only in the mornings?"

"Normally, yeah," Neville said, looking up now with the others. Three enormous black owls had entered the Great Hall, each carrying a large, spherical package.

And they were all headed for the Gryffindor table.

Students moved their plates and slid away while staff members rose from the head table as the owls all dropped their packages, letting them roll along the table towards Rose. String that had been used to tie up the packages remained attached to the owls' legs, so that when the owls turned and flew away, the parchment wrapping was loosened, disgorging their contents.

Three bloody, severed heads.

Rose had already gotten up and started backing away, but she froze when the heads were revealed. All she could do was stand there, her mouth working silently and her hands shaking as they rolled to a stop. Three pairs of sightless eyes stared at her; three mouths hung open in silent screams. Three faces contorted in the pain that must have been their final moments.

Shrieks echoed back and forth across the Great Hall as students leapt out of their seats and tried to run. Others, mostly those closest to the scene, stumbled away and were sick.

"Dudley?" she whispered, unable to look away until Diana arrived to pull her into an embrace, shielding her from the macabre sight.

"Silence!" bellowed the Headmaster's magically enhanced voice.

"Albus! Are those...?"

"Yes, Minerva, I'm afraid they are the Dursleys," the Headmaster replied at a normal volume. "Diana, if you would, please take Rose to my office. I'll have Poppy send up a Calming Draught. Minerva, send all of the students to their dorms, we'll ask the house elves to provide food in the common rooms. Oh, and Poppy will probably need to provide Calming Draughts for some of the younger students as well."

Rose didn't even notice as Diana led her away and through the castle, up to the Headmaster's office. She never saw the horrified looks on the faces of the other students, nor how Dumbledore conjured a large piece of cloth to wrap the heads in.

It was half an hour before the Headmaster joined them, long enough for the Calming Draught to take effect. The first thing Rose noticed when he entered his office was that he looked more tired than she'd ever remembered seeing him.

"I've asked Madam Pomfrey to examine the... remains. She'll tell us what she can about what happened to them, though I can guess."

"It was Voldemort, wasn't it?" Rose asked, her emotions a confused jumble of anger and sorrow. Dumbledore nodded mutely. "How did he get them? How did he even find them?"

"The blood protections around your family's home fell completely this past summer," Dumbledore answered. "It confused me at the time because that shouldn't have occurred until you became an adult at the age of seventeen. I had intended to talk to you about it when you arrived at Grimmauld Place to see if we could figure out what happened. Your announcement of your marriage both derailed that conversation and at the same time made it unnecessary."

"I did this?" Rose asked, horrified. She had never intended... had never even thought...

Diana knelt in front of Rose's chair and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at her wife. "No, Rose, you didn't. Voldemort did this." Rose took a deep breath as she looked into Diana's eyes and started to feel a little calmer.

"But—"

"Mrs. Black is quite right," Dumbledore interrupted. "Although I had expected the protections to remain in place for another year, there was no getting around the fact that they were going to fall eventually. I had hoped to have either won the war by then or at least have a plan for removing your family from danger."

"Why didn't you do that?" Rose demanded, veering towards anger now. "Why did you leave them there?"

Dumbledore grimaced. "It was not by choice, I assure you. A few days after the protections fell, and once I'd determined that they could not be reformed, I visited your family and tried to convince them to move away. I explained the dangers. I offered money to help. I offered the services of a trustworthy witch to stay with them and protect them. It was all for naught."

"Let me guess: Vernon accused you of trying to steal his house or something."

Surprise was evident on Dumbledore's face. "That is almost precisely what he accused me of. I had the distinct impression that your aunt and cousin would have been amenable to my suggestions. Mr. Dursley, however... he would not hear of it. He insisted that he would not be driven out of his home by a bunch of 'freaks.'"

"Then he sealed his fate, and that of his entire family," Diana said sadly.

Dumbledore nodded. "I had people check in on them periodically, and earlier this month they were reported missing. I had hoped... well, I had hoped that they had finally heeded my warnings, since there was no sign of hostile magic having been cast in the house. There have been few times in my life when I've been more sorely tempted to use the Imperius Curse to force someone's compliance with my desires. Yet even in that case, I could not justify to myself stooping to that level, no matter how much better I knew it would ultimately be for them."

"I'm not even sure why I'm so upset," Rose said as she stared at her feet. "I mean, I've hated them for as long as I can remember. They treated me horribly. But at the same time..."

"They didn't deserve to have that happen to them," Diana finished.

Rose nodded. "No one does. Not even Vernon, and he was the worst."

The office was silent for several long moments before the Headmaster spoke again. "Tomorrow you will be excused from your classes, Mrs. Potter." Rose nodded numbly as she stood, not sure what to say... not even sure there was anything _to_ say.

"I shall escort her back to Gryffindor," Diana informed the Headmaster, "but then I'll return so we can discuss security some more. If packages like that could get into the castle, then something much worse could have been sent as well. We should also look into how many other security holes there still are."

"Indeed," Dumbledore responded softly as they left his office. After a moment, he looked over at Fawkes. "Have I been failing my students that badly? I've always thought that I had things well in hand, that nothing could happen that would truly harm them. But now..."

Fawkes flew from his perch to Dumbledore's shoulder and crooned.

"Yes," the old man finally said. "Perhaps I have been a bit too willing to trust in my reputation. Changes do need to be made."


	12. Ace of Spades

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Who Will Fill a Coward's Grave?_ by robst. The Dursleys kick Harry to the curb before they even leave London after picking him up the summer following his fourth year. The Grangers take him in, leading to all sorts of problems for those who would prefer that Harry remain isolated. Harry/Hermione, of course.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Ace of Spades**

 **Mid-November, 1996, Late Night.**

Diana looked around the owlery and marveled at all the beautiful birds. She had known that the school hosted a number of owls, but it wasn't until discussing the security of incoming mail that she learned how many there were. Even so, the Headmaster's words paled in comparison to seeing it for herself.

"My friends," she called out, quickly silencing the raucous hooting and barking that had greeted her entrance. "I apologize for not having visited you sooner. My responsibilities are many, but that does not excuse my lapse in courtesy." The rush of low hoots suggested forgiveness, which was a relief. "Unfortunately, I have not come simply to greet you, but to ask a favor." Almost instantly, every owl stilled and turned its eyes to focus on her. Many flew down so they could be closer.

"The school is in danger," Diana explained. "An evil wizard wishes to take it over, harming the students and staff. I do not know when it will happen, or even if it will definitely happen, but I fear an attack will come — either against the school as a whole or my wife specifically."

Several sharp barks brought her attention to a white snowy owl, who just that day had returned from her trip to visit Themyscira. Diana held out her hand in invitation, and the graceful bird glided down to land on her arm. "Yes, Hedwig, Rose is in the most danger. What I would like is for you all to become my eyes and ears in the sky. I can patrol the corridors in the castle, and I can even walk around the outer walls, but I cannot see enemies approaching from the forest or from Hogsmeade. I cannot know what is happening several miles away. But you can." She looked up, allowing her gaze to meet the dozens and dozens of owls which were watching her with rapt attention. "Will you help me? Will you patrol the skies, day and night?"

The clamor that arose in response to her request was far louder than what had occurred when she'd arrived, and several owls flew immediately out the windows, including Hedwig. "Thank you," Diana said. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your help. If you see or hear something, you can come to me at any time. And if any of you need anything, tell me so I can help you."

Owls continued to hoot and bark for quite some time, and Diana got the distinct impression that they were negotiating duties and schedules with each other. Satisfied that nothing would approach the castle without her knowing about it, she turned to leave, but almost immediately stopped at the sight of a small, quivering figure in the deepest shadows.

Diana stared hard for a moment before kneeling down. "Dobby?"

The little elf staggered forward, his green eyes wide and bloodshot. "Owlsies will be helping protect Missey Rosie?"

Diana frowned, realizing that it had been a while since she'd seen him. "Yes, they will."

"Good." Dobby's eyes darted from side to side, and he began wringing his hands. "Good, good. Missey Rosie will be safer. Dobby couldn't get other elves to help, but owlsies will help. Sharp beaks and talons! Yes, we'll protect Missey Rosie, we will."

"Dobby?" Diana asked uncertainly, slowly holding out one hand. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head violently and started quivering even more. "Nothing! No, nothing be wrong! Dobby promises, he won't fall asleep again!"

"Again?" Diana asked, horrified.

Dobby stomped his feet and yanked on his ears. "Bad Dobby! Three days ago, Dobby nodded off, and then bad Dursley packages come!" He spun and ran into the stone wall, then began beating his head against it. "Bad Dobby! Bad! Bad!"

"No!" Diana leapt forward and grabbed the elf, turning him and forcing him to meet her gaze. "No, Dobby, you did nothing wrong!"

He blinked at her. "But... but if Dobby drinks enough coffee, Dobby not be needing to sleep!" He started nodding his head jerkily. "Yes, more coffee. Javajavavjavajava..."

Diana rolled her eyes. She knew exactly where he'd gotten _that_ idea. "And why do you need to stay awake?"

"Too much to do! Too much, even for Dobby! Evil Snapie plotting, nasty snakie students stalking Missey Rosie. So many threats to stop, so many plotters to punish..."

 _Punish?_ "Dobby? What have you been doing?"

He pulled back and looked up at her with his huge, green eyes. "Dobby protects his family! Dobby has never had a real family before, and Dobby won't let anything happen to them!"

"You've been attacking the students, haven't you?" His only response was to quiver even harder, and Diana sighed. "Dobby, you can't do that."

"But Missey Rosie—"

"Rose hates being bullied," Diana interrupted, squeezing his shoulders slightly to make sure she had his attention, "and attacking others before they do anything means that _you_ are bullying _them_. Do you think Rose would approve of that?" Dobby gasped, and Diana pressed on. "This isn't you, Dobby. Rose has told me about you, about how much you risked to help her. You don't need to hurt others to do it, though."

Tears pooled in his enormous eyes. "Bad Dobby! Bad!" He pulled up the hem of his... whatever he was wearing and loudly blew his nose into it. "Dobby is unworthy of being family to the great Missey Rosie and Missie Dinny!"

"No, Dobby, that's not true," Diana said, getting the elf's attention again. "Stopping attacks is good, but you've been going too far. You need to learn restraint. Just because you have the power to do something doesn't mean you always should."

Dobby sniffed loudly and nodded. "Yes, Dobby will do better, Dobby promises! Dobby won't disappoint his family!"

"You know what else would upset Rose?" Dobby looked as though he was waiting for a blow to fall. "She'd be upset to see you neglecting your health." He tried shaking his head again, but Diana pressed on. "You can't go without sleep. You look like you can barely stand, and if you keep going like this you won't be able to help anyone."

"What... what should Dobby do?" The little elf's voice had gone quiet, and Diana knew she was finally getting through to him.

"You need help, perhaps from one of the castle's elves."

Dobby sniffed again. "Hogwarts elves have never liked Dobby, say Dobby is a strange elf."

She resisted the temptation to agree. "Are there any elves who would help you?"

His eyes darted back and forth again, and at last he said, "Maybe... maybe Winky could help?"

"Winky?"

A pop signalled the arrival of another elf, this one with a red, bulbous nose and bleary eyes. "Someone called — _hic_ — Winky?" She swayed back and forth and seemed to have trouble focusing.

"Dobby, is she...?"

Dobby nodded. "Winky is drinking up to three butterbeers a day now. Dobby try to take care of Winky, but Dobby have so little time. Winky won't last much longer."

"I'm surprised that Hogwarts elves are allowed to—"

Diana's comment was interrupted by a wail from the inebriated elf. "Winky not want to be Hogwarts elf! But Winky is a bad elf, so no family want Winky!" She sniffed loudly, then narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus on just one of the several Dianas she was surely seeing. "What does strange Miss want with Winky?"

Diana squeezed her eyes shut and whispered fervently, "Athena grant me wisdom." Looking at the elf again, she considered her situation, trying to decide what to do. She doubted that any of the original Castle Wardens needed to deal with elves addicted to either alcohol or caffeine.

Remembering some of what she'd learned about magical healing while Rose was in the hospital wing, she asked, "Dobby, do sleeping potions work on house elves like they do on witches and wizards? Is it safe for house elves?" Hesitantly, Dobby nodded. "Good," Diana said, then turned to Winky. "I'd like you to fetch me a vial of sleeping potion." The female elf looked dubious, but after a moment she nodded and popped away.

A few seconds later she returned, a vial in her hands. "Thank you, Winky," Diana said, accepting the sleeping potion and handing it to the still-quivering Dobby. "I want you to drink enough of this to ensure that you sleep for at least twenty-four hours. Longer would be better, if it's safe for you."

"But—"

"No, Dobby, I have to insist," Diana interrupted. "You've gone with little or no sleep for weeks, and that isn't safe. You need to take care of your own health right now, and trust Rose and me to take care of ourselves." Reluctantly, Dobby nodded, and took a small sip of the potion. Almost immediately, his eyelids began drooping, and in a few seconds he was fast asleep in her arms.

"Is that all Miss be needing from Winky?" The other elf's voice was somehow both sad and resentful, and Diana forced herself to start addressing the other half of her unexpected problem.

"No, not quite," Diana responded. "You said earlier you wanted a family, yes?"

Winky nodded. "But Winky is a bad elf, and no one—"

Diana held up a hand. "That's not true. Dobby seems to like you, and I trust his judgment." She paused and looked down again at the snoring elf. "Well, mostly," she added under her breath.

Looking back up, she continued, "Do you want a family like Dobby has?"

Winky's expression turned confused. "Winky not want to be free like Dobby. Winky wants to be bonded, like a proper elf!"

"Dobby is bonded," Diana said, "but as family, not as a slave. Rose and I refuse to have slaves, but we would welcome new family members."

Winky's confusion grew visibly worse as she tried to make sense of Diana's words. "Strange Miss not be lying to Winky? Dobby is bonded?"

"As family, yes."

"And strange Miss be wanting Winky, too?"

"If you can complete certain tasks for me," Diana said, hiding a smile.

Winky shuffled closer and examined Diana carefully. She was still bleary-eyed, but she wasn't swaying so much. "Strange Miss isn't a witch, Winky can tell, but strange Miss still has magic. Winky... Winky doesn't understand. How can Dobby be bonded to strange Miss?"

"Dobby is bonded to both me and my wife, Rose Potter. And you'll learn more about me if you bond to us as family as well. We have secrets that we don't want to get out."

Winky blinked several times before finally saying, "Winky is good at keeping secrets. What does Winky be needing to do?"

"Rose and I want our family to be healthy and safe," Diana said, gesturing to Dobby. "Unfortunately, Dobby has been going too far recently."

Winky shook her head. "Dobby is a crazy elf."

"Perhaps so, but his heart is in the right place. I want him to rest and get healthy, but I'm not sure I can trust him to do it on his own. That's where you come in."

"But what can Winky do?"

"I want him to get plenty of bed rest for at least a week, preferably two. He's to have absolutely no caffeine whatsoever." At Winky's puzzled frown, she clarified, "No coffee at all. And no tea either, for that matter. After that, I want him on light duty, and he's not to do anything for us unless we specifically call and ask for it. Nothing at all. Can you handle that?"

Winky nodded vigorously. "Yes, Winky can be telling Dobby what to do."

"Good. Next, you need to take care of yourself, too. While Dobby is resting and getting the caffeine out of his system, you need to stop drinking butterbeer. I want you sober and clean. Can you handle that, too?"

Winky hesitated, then said reluctantly, "Yes, strange Miss. Will Winky be bonded then?"

"Unless otherwise called for something, the two of you can come back to Rose and me at the start of December. Not before. Come to my rooms when we're alone. If you're both clean and healthy, I'll take you into our family like we did with Dobby."

"But Winky will be bonded, yes?" she asked insistently.

Diana sighed. "Yes, it will be a bond."

Winky finally seemed satisfied at that. "Good, Winky wants to be a _proper_ elf." She looked down at Dobby again. "And Winky will make a proper elf out of Dobby, too. Whatever it takes."

"No, wait—" Diana's protest was made to thin air, because Winky had grabbed Dobby's ears and popped away with him before she could even get the first syllable out. She pinched the bridge of her nose and slowly shook her head. Of all the responsibilities she had expected to be taking on when she began her life with Rose, running a detox program for house elves was definitely not among them. "Are _all_ elves like this, or do we simply attract the strange ones?"

* * *

It was late, nearing the end of her patrol, when she heard someone call out, "Diana, could I have a moment of your time?"

Turning, she was surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing outside her quarters, beckoning to her. "Of course," she said, following the older woman inside. "I'm surprised to see you up this late."

"Normally I'm not," the professor replied as she poured them both some tea at a small, intimate table set up near a window. "However, I've had quite a few extra duties to attend to over the past couple of days, including trying to comfort frightened students. I expect the other heads of house are in a similar situation."

"Students will probably be having nightmares for a while."

"Probably. But even if that weren't the case, I'd still have stayed up in order to talk to you."

"Me? What about?" Diana asked a she sipped her tea.

"Rose Potter. How is she doing?"

Diana set down her cup and took a deep breath. "It's difficult to say. What happened hit her pretty hard, but I'm not sure how much of that was the actual deaths of her relatives and how much was the way in which she learned of their fate. I've seen little of her since Friday night, but when I have, she hasn't shown much emotion. I think she's bottling it all up."

McGonagall frowned. "I've noticed that Rose has been distracted quite a bit in classes this term. She seems to be frequently tired as well."

"Yes, she has been," Diana agreed. "I've assumed that it's simply been her schedule. She's been pushing herself hard, exercising and training."

"But have you asked her? Have you talked to her about it?"

"No," Diana admitted. "It's been so difficult finding time to spend together, at least outside of our training sessions. More difficult than I had thought it would be."

"What have you been doing together?"

Diana blinked at the bluntness of the question, but there was no reason not to answer. "There are the training sessions, of course, at least three times a week. I help teach her DA classes. Every so often we spend one of her free periods together, sitting instead of working. She's tried to sneak into my room a couple of nights, but I always send her back as quickly as I can."

McGonagall pursed her lips for several long moments before setting down her own teacup. "I'm shocked that I'm about to say this, and if you tell anyone I'll deny it, but... perhaps you shouldn't send her back."

"Why?" Diana asked, disbelieving. "It's after curfew when she does it. She could get into trouble, and it would look bad if I were found to be facilitating it. And on top of that it's a security problem to have students wandering the corridors late at night!"

"That's all true, but she's been doing it for years," McGonagall pointed out.

"Even so, I'm supposed to be the adult here," Diana objected. "I can't very well encourage her to—"

McGonagall held up one hand to stop her. "And there's the problem, I think. You see yourself as 'The Adult.' You're not."

"What? Of course I'm—"

"You're of age," McGonagall interrupted, "and technically so is she now, despite being sixteen years old. And as you've mentioned more than once, you aren't all that much older than her. You're married. You're equals, or at least you're _supposed_ to be. An adult/child relationship is necessarily one of unequal power. It's why as a professor, I can't be friends with the students — not until after they graduate, at least. In principle you should be in a similar situation with all the students since you're responsible for castle security, but you can't do that with her. You can't do that with your _wife_."

"I... I hadn't thought about it in that way."

"On top of that, the poor girl hasn't had the greatest experience with adults in her life," McGonagall continued. "I've contributed to that a few times myself, I'm afraid. So the more she sees you as an 'adult' rather than her friend and partner, the more negative her associations with you may become."

Diana slumped in her chair, surprised and disturbed at what she'd allowed to develop. She absently stroked her ring as she thought about all the different ways she'd been treating Rose like a student or a younger sister. "I've made such a huge mistake here. I see that I know even less about how to handle marriage than I'd realized. It's just... I've been trying so hard to live up to certain standards of maturity and responsibility."

"Which you should do with others, but not necessarily with Rose."

"How am I supposed to train her, though?" Diana asked after a moment. "Not only am I training her in how to wield a sword, I'm also trying to teach her how to responsibly wield power generally. The main reason why I left my home was to teach others about our ways, about our philosophy. I suppose I naturally adopted that approach with Rose as well. Given how much she has to learn, I'm not sure how I can do anything else!"

McGonagall's brow furrowed. "Those are good questions. There's a lot which Rose needs to learn, some of which you may be best suited to teach her. And you certainly shouldn't keep quiet about things which you know and she needs to learn. However, the role of a teacher is not that of a spouse." She paused to consider the problem. "Perhaps if you made the training more of an exchange between the two of you. Ensure that she teaches you things as well, then your relationship won't be reduced to that of teacher and student."

"I've thought about having her cast spells at me to help me learn how to defend against your brand of magic. We still don't know how resistant or susceptible I am to spells, curses, and things like that."

The older woman nodded. "That's a good starting point. She's already proven that she has an aptitude for teaching, so I'm sure you'll find other things you can learn from her. You may find that challenging, however, if you tend to assume that you're the one who should be teaching others." Diana raised a questioning eyebrow, so McGonagall elaborated. "No matter how old you are, you will always still have more to learn, and the youngest students can bring a fresh perspective to things you thought you knew well. Forgetting this can lead to arrogance, but keeping it firmly in mind will make you a better teacher in the long run and will help you correct your mistakes with Rose."

"Thank you," Diana said quietly. "I hope I'll still be able to fix things."

"You're still young, too," McGonagall pointed out. "Fortunately, it's early in your marriage. I'm sure no permanent damage has been done, so long as you start correcting the problems soon. It will be a challenge for you to fulfill all of your roles while living and working in the castle, but you did volunteer for the job."

"True," Diana agreed. "I did it to protect her and be close to her. It never occurred to me that the two would conflict as they have."

"I'll help where I can. I haven't always done as well by her as I should have, and I'd like to make it up to her."

"You don't object to our relationship? Our marriage?"

McGonagall sighed. "I've seen many things in my life that I find objectionable. Entire families wiped out in order to teach a lesson to others. Fathers forced to torture and kill their own children. Children forced to take sides in a war that they couldn't even begin to understand. I will not group your marriage with incidents like those. While I cannot say that I understand relationships such as yours, I'm not sure that it's my place to object. Ultimately it's Rose's life, and she needs to decide how she'll live it."

* * *

"Approach, Severus. Bellatrix here was getting worried that you might not come when I called." Sitting at Voldemort's right hand at the long Malfoy dining table, Bellatrix Lestrange sneered at the man she regularly claimed was spying for the other side.

"My apologies, my Lord, but I found it more difficult than usual to get away from the castle," Snape said as he bowed before taking a seat farther down the table. "The Headmaster has been working frantically all weekend to calm the students and improve school security."

Voldemort chuckled. "I take it, then, that my little Halloween gift had the desired effect. And how did Rose Potter react?"

"Frozen speechless with horror, my Lord," Snape reported with a slight smirk, not mentioning that he nearly was as well. As much as he'd once hated Petunia Evans, the sight of her bloody head on the Gryffindor table had brought back too many unwelcome memories of Lily. "She was reportedly ensconced in the Headmaster's office with that... woman for quite some time before she returned to her dorm. She missed all of her Friday classes as well."

This time Voldemort laughed, and the Death Eaters in attendance promptly followed suit. "Excellent, excellent. It's always nice to hear when one's gift is well received, especially after I went to so much work to ensure that it was properly prepared. Oh, and you, too, my dear Bella. You worked equally hard at preparing our gift for the Girl Who Lived."

"It was an honor and a pleasure, my Lord," Bellatrix replied.

"Yes, of course it was. You seemed to want to do little else for the past month. Now, Severus, since you raised the subject, what news do you have to tell us about that woman, Diana. It's been almost two months since your last report, so I expect you to have something for us."

"My Lord, I am more convinced than ever that she is not a witch. She might not even be a squib, though if that's the case I cannot explain how she was able to obtain a valid magical marriage certificate. The marriage was performed in America, however, and we have no idea how far standards have fallen there. I also don't know how she would have been able to enter Hogwarts, though I wouldn't put it past Potter to have done something."

"A muggle?" Voldemort asked. "Are you saying you think this woman might be a _muggle?_ And she's in charge of security at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, my Lord, I think it possible. She frequently acts as though she doesn't even know the rudimentary basics of magic — things that any squib child would have learned before being turned out so she didn't pollute her magical family."

"Interesting, very interesting," Voldemort mused. "As much as people are outraged over her, I think the flames could be fanned even higher if they thought she was a muggle. We could use that, regardless of whether it's true; and it means that we'll have less to fear once we do move against Hogwarts. What else?"

"She has been assuming more and more responsibilities for castle security, my Lord, even over and above the minimum amount Dumbledore was originally willing to grant her. For example, she has begun regular patrols at night, catching numerous couples in broom cupboards."

"Why should we care about that?" Bellatrix demanded, but she subsided at a raised hand from Voldemort.

"Severus?'

"Because it is further alienating her from the rest of the student population. Few were willing to give her or her relationship with Potter a chance before, but a growing number now have a personal grudge against her, even though she's not doing anything that the staff don't normally do already. I predict that her standing with the students will continue to worsen."

"Excellent," Voldemort said with a chuckle. "It always makes things easier when one's enemies slit their own throats. Potter is nothing without the help of her friends, and now she's driving them all away better than even I could accomplish!" He paused for a few moments, then added softly, "Yes, her friends may be the key. If we cannot strike directly at her, we can at least strike at them..."

"My Lord?"

"You have something else to say, Severus?"

"I regret to report also that her patrols are making it harder for Draco to complete the task assigned to him. She's already caught him out of bounds once, and I fear that she will be watching for him in the future."

Voldemort sneered, as did Bellatrix. "Has he shared with you the nature of his task? Has he asked for your assistance, perhaps?"

"No, my Lord, he has not." Out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw Narcissa and Lucius both flinch. He suspected that Bellatrix had caught it as well, judging by her soft, malicious laughter.

"At least he's doing something right, then," Voldemort said, his eyes boring into Snape. "This task is his to complete and his alone. The interference of this... woman is merely one more obstacle he will have to overcome if he wishes to gain favor and status within our ranks. If she is in fact a squib or a muggle, then no matter how skilled she may be, as a wizard he shouldn't have any problems."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Nevertheless, there's no reason why I cannot use Draco for other ends — ends which might ultimately assist him," Voldemort continued thoughtfully as he caressed a broad, flat package that sat on the table in front of him. "I had him explain several possible approaches he might take to complete one of the two primary tasks I set for him, just to ensure that he knew what he was doing. It occurs to me that one of his proposed plans might prove useful to me in other ways." He paused, slowly tapping the package with one white finger before pushing it over to Snape. "I imagine that owl post will be more tightly controlled now, so you will have to deliver this to young Draco personally. Tell him to be sure he uses it by the last Saturday in November."

"My Lord?"

"Just an idea that you gave me. That's all you need to know."

"Yes, my Lord."

"In fact, if Draco is clever enough in how he uses this, it will even help him fulfill one of the tasks I set for him!" Voldemort declared. "If there's nothing else, Severus, you are dismissed. I know you have duties back at Hogwarts."

"Thank you, my Lord," Snape said, rising from his chair and bowing deeply before exiting the room, thinking furiously about what he was going to do.

* * *

 **Late November, 1996, Morning. Staff Quarters, Hogwarts.**

A flat, one-foot-square package that had been leaning against the outside of her door fell into her room, startling Diana as she opened her door to leave. She looked up and down the corridor, but she neither saw anyone nor felt any presence nearby.

"What's this?" she asked aloud as she picked it up and hefted it, surprised at its weight.

She pulled away the cloth wrapping and found a leather folio. She hesitated, suspicious because of the lack of any note, then slowly opened the front flap, revealing an expensive-looking necklace that was dominated by a large, black jewel.

Diana frowned. _Why would someone give me this? It isn't even pretty._ Even so, it seemed to call to her in a strange way. Almost without intending to, she reached out to the black jewel to examine it more closely.

The instant her skin touched it, her entire body was suddenly wracked with blinding, unimaginable pain. She felt herself screaming for what seemed like an eternity before she finally blacked out.

* * *

Hermione winced at the loud creaking of the door as she entered the hospital wing. Not even the Headmaster had been able to improve on Professor McGonagall's initial repairs to the door, and they weren't sure whether a new one would be any better. She tried to close it again more carefully, but that seemed to make the noise even worse.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, neither of the two occupants of the hospital wing had noticed. She stopped for a moment to look at them. Diana, pale and gaunt, lay unconscious and unmoving on the same bed she'd occupied for the past three days. Rose, also pale and gaunt now, sat next to her, just as she had been doing ever since Diana had been admitted — ever since she'd almost collapsed in the common room, which had happened shortly before Diana was found. Rose had refused to leave for classes or meals, only coming back to Gryffindor tower when Madam Pomfrey expelled her each night.

Not that that had mattered, because she always returned under her cloak. When Hermione objected, Rose simply pointed out that she'd done the same thing in second year when Hermione herself had been here, petrified, and that had shut her up quickly.

"Any change?" she asked as she approached Diana's bed.

Rose shook her head. "Not only isn't she getting any better, but Madam Pomfrey thinks she might be a little worse. At least they know what's happening to her, since they have the necklace that cursed her; but because she isn't a witch like us it's harder to treat her. Madam Pomfrey even consulted with both Snape and Slughorn, but neither of them had any suggestions to offer. If there's no improvement by Monday, she's going to transfer Diana to St. Mungo's."

"I'm surprised that Diana touched the necklace at all."

Rose shrugged and absently rubbed her left wrist. Had she been injured there or something? "She doesn't completely understand our world yet. Even I might have touched it, and I at least know that objects like that can be cursed. She knows that she has a lot to learn, which is one reason why she's tried to be careful about revealing the full extent of her abilities. Even so, she's going to make mistakes."

"You're tutoring her in the basics about our magic now, right?"

"We do a little with every training session," Rose confirmed.

"Maybe I should help with that." Rose looked questioningly at her. "Well," she said almost apologetically, "I know more theory than you do. You can cast certain spells better than I do, especially in a crisis, but I've learned far more of them than you and I can explain them better."

Rose slowly nodded. "Yeah, that might help. I often find myself stumbling when trying to explain what sorts of spells she needs to watch for and how they work. The magic of her home is too different from ours."

"Speaking of which, thanks again for having Diana send for help for my parents. Their last letter said they're all actually getting along pretty well."

Rose nodded absently, but didn't say anything.

Hermione pulled up a second chair and sat quietly next to Rose for several minutes. She didn't bother asking how Rose felt. Every other time she'd asked, she gotten the same answer: not sadness or grief, but a vast emptiness. That more than anything made her worried about her best friend's state of mind. Looking at her now, seeing how terribly _gray_ she looked, she realized that it was time to act. She'd promised Diana she'd look out for her, after all.

"They're getting the carriages ready for Hogsmeade," Hermione observed, putting a note of cheerfulness in her voice. When there was no reply, she added, "Want to come?"

"I'll stay here, thanks."

"You look like you could use something from Honeydukes."

Rose shrugged.

Hermione tried a different tack. "You could get some flowers for her bedside..." she said, almost wheedling.

Silence.

Clearly, this called for drastic action. Hermione studied her friend for a moment, then as casually as she could manage, she asked, "So, have you figured out what to get Diana as a Christmas gift?" She knew she was taking a risk here: either Rose would angrily point out that it hardly seemed likely her wife would live until Christmas, or...

Right on cue, Rose's eyes grew wide and a bit panicky. "Christmas gift?"

Relieved at finally getting a reaction, Hermione charged into the breach. "Well, of course — it's your first Christmas together. You have to get her something _extra_ special!" When the poor girl continued to look like a deer caught in headlights, she laid a hand encouragingly on her arm. "It's alright — I'll help. We'll go together and take a look around Hogsmeade — see if anything sparks an idea."

Rose blinked as she registered what Hermione was saying, then she looked uncertainly back at her wife. Hermione rushed on. "Look, it's already the last Saturday in November — there's only one more trip to Hogsmeade before the hols. You should go while you can." Seeing the expression on her friend's face, she added softly, "I'm sure Diana wouldn't mind if you took a break."

For a moment, Hermione thought she'd refuse after all, but finally Rose gave way to the gentle tugging on her arm and allowed herself to be led out of the hospital wing.

"C'mon," Hermione said with a brightness she didn't quite feel. "It'll be fun."


	13. Bottom Dealing

**A/N:** I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed in some of the responses to the most recent chapters. Some seem to think that Rose and Diana should emerge victorious from every confrontation and smash every enemy they encounter. That's not what happens in a good story, though, and it's certainly not what happens here. This is chapter 13 of 24 — it's still the middle of the book, so you can't expect the heroes to be winning quite yet. Put in different terms, this is still _The Empire Strikes Back_ (the best of the original trilogy, by the way): the rebels are on the run, the heroes have been captured, and Darth Vader is gloating. Of course everything looks bleak, but you'd have been foolish to walk out in the middle, declaring that "the good guys just keep getting smacked around" and refusing to either watch the rest or see _Return of the Jedi_.

Unfortunately, because of the nature of this serial publishing model, you're all forced to focus longer on the setbacks in Act 2; in a regular book, you'd have already powered on through to Act 3, where the heroes are regrouping and counterattacking. Hang in there — the tide is turning...

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices.

 **Recommendation:** _For Love of Magic,_ by Noodlehammer. Harry Potter learns about magic very early on, causing the Dursleys to get rid of him. This allows him to study his powers and pursue his own interests, leading him on a path to studying magics that he probably shouldn't.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Bottom Dealing**

 **Time: Irrelevant. Location: Unknown.**

Diana didn't know how long she'd been walking along the dirt road, but it felt as if it had been ages. It wasn't the length of time that bothered her most, though, it was the unchanging nature of it all. The road was always the same. The wall to her right was always the same. The fields beyond the wall, while incredibly beautiful and lush, were also always the same. She wished that she would come across something different and interesting, but she couldn't bring herself to stop walking or take a different direction.

So she kept walking.

"Well, it's about time!" came a voice finally. When Diana looked around, she found a young woman sitting on the low wall, swinging her feet. "I was wondering when you'd get here," she continued. "But I suppose you have good reason to not be able to move fast."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"My name is Iaso. You might have met my parents at some point, Epone and Asclepius?"

"But they're... so that means you're...?"

"Yes, that's right, I'm a goddess," she said brightly as she hopped off the wall and approached Diana. "The goddess of cures, remedies, and recuperation, to be precise."

Diana looked all around her, worried now as she started thinking carefully about her circumstances. "If you're a goddess, and I've... is that the Elysian Fields?" she asked, gesturing beyond the wall.

"Right in one! Lovely, aren't they?"

Diana nodded numbly, wishing she could deny what she now knew to be truth. "So that's it, then? I'm... I'm dead?"

"Well, no, not exactly. That's why you're over here, on the road, instead of on the other side of the wall."

"Then what exactly is happening to me?"

"That's rather complicated, I'm afraid," Iaso said, settling herself on the wall again and gesturing for Diana to join her. "At the moment, you're hovering between life and death. Have been for quite some time, I'm afraid, but as I said, it took you a while to get to me. And now that you have, you have a choice to make."

"I get to choose?" Diana asked, feeling confused and out of her depth.

"Indeed you do. On the one hand, you can pass through to the other side and spend eternity in the Elysian Fields with your ancestors and all your sisters who have gone before you." Iaso gestured with her arm, and a gate appeared in the wall. "I promise that I will ease your passing. You won't feel a thing. Well, not at first, but once you pass beyond the gate, you'll feel contentment and peace. I'm told that it's quite pleasant."

"There are people waiting for me?" Diana asked as she looked back across the fields. For the first time, she could see shadowy figures moving around.

Iaso nodded. "Quite a few. In fact, you should be able to start seeing them now that you're drawing closer to their side."

Diana was tempted to get up right then and there and open the gate. The pull of those who'd gone before was almost overwhelming, but she took a deep breath to steady herself and asked, "What's the second option?"

"Pain."

"Pain?"

"Pain. And suffering. But also incredible joy."

"I don't understand," Diana responded, shaking her head in confusion.

"I can send you back, if you want," Iaso explained. "You're teetering between life and death right now. In fact, you're leaning a bit more towards death, and I'll bet the temptation to go through that gate is getting stronger." Diana nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figured. But as the goddess of cures, I can nudge you back towards life, if that's what you truly desire. It'll hurt, and once there you'll continue to experience all sorts of pain and suffering — not just in the near term but for the rest of your days. Life's messy like that, I'm afraid. Yet you'll also have your share of joy."

"But isn't that what I'd experience in Elysian Fields?"

Iaso shook her head. "No, Elysian Fields merely offers contentment and peace. It's nice and relaxing, but it's not joy or happiness."

Diana considered that. "There's nothing to accomplish, no challenges to overcome," she said slowly. "No pain of struggle or joy of victory. No risks."

"Now you get it," the goddess said, smiling. "Which is it that you want?"

Diana thought about the long, boring road she'd been walking and gazed out over the fields on the other side of the wall. They were beautiful, it was true, but there seemed to be a crushing sameness to them as well. "I'd... rather go back," she said, though it took some effort to get the words out.

"I thought you might," Iaso said. "But why?"

"Why? Because... because it seems so boring here."

"So? I'm sure there are lots of bored souls over there. What's special about you?"

Her life felt so far away, but Diana struggled to bring it into focus. "I still have my mission! I still have responsibilities as ambassador of my people."

Iaso looked at her patiently. "All that's true, but again, so what? Others can take over for you once you're gone. You aren't irreplaceable. What do you have there that's worth living for? Not duty or obligations — they don't make a life worth living. What is back there that's yours, that makes your existence complete?"

Diana fought to make sense of what she was feeling, to justify herself. Fought to remember—

"Rose!" she exclaimed, lifting her arm to reassure herself that her tattoo was still there. Iaso simply raised one questioning eyebrow. "My wife, Rose." she clarified.

"I know who she is. What about her?"

"If I cross over, then I'll leave her behind, alone!"

"For now. But she'll eventually join you, sooner or later."

Diana shook her head. "That's not good enough. We've only just started our journey together. We've only just joined our lives with each other. I... I..."

"Yes?"

"I love her."

"Are you sure? You just said that you've only just started your journey together. You haven't even completed the courtship, and you spend so little time with her as it is."

"I know, but... it's still true. I can't say how or when my feelings solidified, but they have. I _do_ love her. And all the things I do, all the time I spend away from her, it's all for her sake."

"And have you told her this?"

Diana hung her head, refusing to look at the goddess.

"Now that, my dear, is a problem. However much you may love her, that love won't accomplish anything so long as you refuse to acknowledge it openly. You might show her love, which is all well and good, but words have a power of their own."

"I had been thinking of saying something, but I've been waiting for the right time. The right situation."

"I'll bet it's feeling like you waited too long, isn't it?" Diana nodded. "Yeah, you could have done a better job there."

"Do... do the goddesses not approve of my decisions? Of my relationship?"

Iaso's musical laugh rang out. "Quite the contrary! Granted, you two still have a ways to go, even just to give your relationship a solid grounding, but everyone is very pleased."

"Really?"

"Well, except for the bit about you holding back on telling her what you feel. But other than that, yes! You don't think you walked into that bar by accident, do you? You don't think it was a coincidence that you were at exactly the right place at the right time to meet a lonely girl who'd travelled all the way from Britain, do you? That sort of thing doesn't even happen in bad romance stories! It was your decision to ultimately walk through that door, but Aphrodite ensured that you noticed it was there. And of course she got Dionysus' help, too. Personally, I think he went a little overboard, but that is his way."

Diana stared at the goddess open-mouthed. "I... I should have realized."

"Indeed you should have. You of all people know that we continue to influence events in the mortal realm to suit our goals. And you also know how much we love and want the best for you. So while it's true that this relationship was necessary for certain goals of ours to come to fruition, it was also necessary for _you_."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. A lifetime alone would not have been good for you, and her presence will go a long way towards improving your life. In more ways than one, too. It will also be good for you Amazons generally. As well as you've done all these centuries, it's time for some changes. But enough of that, now — you don't have much time before you will have to go in one direction or the other. Are you certain of your feelings? This won't work otherwise."

Diana's mouth opened and closed several times before she could speak. "I... I think so."

"That isn't good enough," Iaso said, shaking her head. "What do you feel in your heart? What do you feel in your bones?"

Diana took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I do love her."

"And do you love her enough to tell her? Because she's not going to say it first — not after what happened to her before and certainly not after feeling ignored all these weeks."

"I should," Diana admitted.

Iaso smiled. "Yes, you should. And before it's too late."

"What? Why? What do you mean?"

"Aside from the fact that Aunt Aphrodite has been pulling her hair out over you two?" Iaso asked with a grin as she hopped off the wall again. She turned and pulled Diana to join her. "Because time grows short, my dear. Shorter than you can know." She raised her hand and poked Diana in the forehead with her forefinger. It wasn't a hard poke, but it was enough to push Diana over, and she found herself falling backwards.

Instead of hitting the ground, however, she kept falling... and falling... and falling. Everything around her went dark as she continued to fall, farther and farther through the inky black.

* * *

 **November, 1996, Afternoon. Hospital Wing, Hogwarts.**

Diana gasped as she opened her eyes, finding herself not on the road, but in a bed. It only took her a moment to recognize the hospital wing where she and Hermione had held vigil over Rose. Pain attacked her across her entire body, forcing a low moan out of her.

"You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey came into view, looking elated. "This is incredible! I was certain that I'd have to transfer you to St. Mungo's in a few more days!"

"What... happened?" Diana asked in a hoarse voice as the Healer began casting diagnostic charms on her.

"Someone sent you a cursed necklace. I don't think they know who it was, but it was a nasty curse. Frankly, I'm surprised that you lived longer than a few seconds, never mind that you've hung on for three days so far."

"Thank... you."

"No, don't thank me — your survival wasn't due to anything I did, much as I didn't have anything to do with you waking up just now." She stopped casting and looked at Diana, relief and exasperation warring on her face. "I'm always glad when a patient recovers, mind you, I simply don't like not knowing why. You'll need to be here for a couple of days at the very least while you recover, but I need to contact the Headmaster. He wanted to be notified the instant there was any change in your condition."

Diana took several deep breaths when the healer was gone and tried to remember what had happened to her. The images were hazy and fading fast. She remembered a long road. She remembered beautiful fields. She remembered being bored, which was odd for a dream. Or was it a dream? Was it real, or was it all merely in her head?

Then she remembered a burning desire to see Rose again. To see Rose, and to... to apologize? No, not quite. To try to help her better understand why she's spending so much time away from her... and to spend more time _with_ her.

She was absently caressing her ring as she thought about her wife when she was struck by a horrible, burning sensation all over her body.

"Rose!" she gasped.

* * *

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Rose writhed and screamed in pain as the Cruciatus Curse burned across her body. After what seemed like an eternity, the curse was released and she was left twitching and gasping for breath.

"See, wittle girl? You have to mean it!" Bellatrix cackled at Rose. More agonized screams came from somewhere nearby.

"Here's another," said a voice, and someone with blonde hair fell to the ground next to her. "We've found almost all of them." Rose tried to focus and thought she recognized Luna. Despite the pain and convulsions, she looked around and found that there were several people on the ground with her now.

"Here's her wand, too." The Death Eater handed over a wand to Bellatrix.

"Hermione!" Rose gasped, reaching out when she realized that it was her screams she was hearing.

The Death Eater who was using the Cruciatus Curse on Hermione released it and laughed. "You'd better get used to it, Potter! The Dark Lord has promised the mudblood to me, and I intend to do a whole lot worse before I finish repaying her for escaping me in the Ministry!"

Tears welled in Rose's eyes as she watched Hermione continue to twitch in pain. She felt her wand in her disillusioned wrist holster, but she had little chance of taking on all of these Death Eaters at once. She briefly considered calling Dobby, but there was no way she'd ask him to appear in the middle of a situation like this.

"Stop playing with your food, Dolohov," ordered another. "You, too, Bella. We were instructed to find everyone who dares approve of Potter's degenerate lifestyle and bring them back. But we can't take too long."

"Rudy and Rabastan are still searching for the other two, including the Longbottom boy," Bellatrix responded. "We'll leave once they get back and not a second sooner! You've already shut down the floo connection in the Three Broomsticks, and the only aurors in town are already down. But if you're worried, set up a defense along the road in case anyone from the castle comes to see what's happening." The Death Eater nodded, then grabbed three others before moving off.

"Now, where were we? Oh, that's right, Professor Bella was teaching! _**Crucio!**_ _"_

Rose's world exploded in pain.

* * *

"Mrs. Black, what are you doing?"

Diana grimaced as she staggered to her feet, using Madam Pomfrey's shoulder to steady herself.

"Headmaster, help me get her back into bed — she shouldn't be standing."

"No!" Diana hissed. "Rose is in danger!"

"Mrs. Black, Rose and her friends went to Hogsmeade. I'm sure they're fine," Pomfrey insisted.

"Why do you think there is danger?" Dumbledore asked, his tone sharpening.

"This!" she answered, holding up the Black family wedding ring. "I've been feeling her emotions for weeks, but never like this. I never even realized what was going on until now, but I can feel burning knives all over my body, right down to my bones. I know it's coming from her!"

"That sounds like the torture curse!" Pomfrey gasped. "How? Who?"

"I don't know, but I promise I'll go investigate myself," Dumbledore replied. "In the meantime, Mrs. Black, you need to—"

" **No!** " she snapped, backing away from both of them. " **No more! I will do this!** "

It took some effort, but she managed to stand up straight and put her arms out to her sides before spinning in place. A blinding flash of light forced the other two to turn away. When they could see again, they were shocked to find that Diana's hospital gown had disappeared. In its place, she was wearing leather and bronze armor, a golden tiara on her head, and a golden rope hanging from her side.

It was the look of absolute fury in her eyes, though, that made them both take a step back.

"I will do this!" she said again, as she staggered over to the window and opened it, sounding stronger despite still being pale and gaunt. She then rose into the air and flew out of the hospital wing in the direction of Hogsmeade, moving so fast that she was soon barely a speck in the sky.

"Headmaster! Did you see...?"

"Yes, Poppy, I did indeed." Dumbledore's eyes were wide with wonder. And, finally, a glimmer of understanding.

"But... how...?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you anything," he replied, "but I must ask you to not speak of this to anyone. Anyone at all!"

Pomfrey turned and looked at the Headmaster, surprised by his stern tone. "Of course, since she's still technically my patient, I'll treat all of this as falling under patient/healer confidentiality."

"Good. Now I must leave to fetch help for Hogsmeade."

* * *

Ordinarily Diana loved to fly, but she was finding that the residual effects of the curse were inhibiting her flight as much as they'd affected her ability to walk. She was determined to be there for Rose, however, unlike the last time she was attacked, and she was soon hovering high above Hogsmeade. Below she could see several buildings smoking as if they'd recently been set on fire, and numerous people were running. A few looked like they were being chased by figures in black robes, which she assumed were Death Eaters.

Using that as her focus, she soon found a group of them gathered around several small figures on the ground, and she immediately recognized them as Rose and her friends. It took less than a second for her to realize that both Rose and Hermione were being subjected to the torture curse. Diana's vision went red as she sped to the ground, not consciously noticing when her bracelets flashed, sending a short sword into each hand.

* * *

"It's about time, Rodolphus!" complained one Death Eater. "Now if you can convince your wife and Dolohov to stop wasting time, we can finish this mission."

"Shut it," he growled as he and his brother tossed Ron's and Neville's unconscious bodies with the others. "Bella needs an outlet. If she can't use Potter, she might end up using you!"

"Fine, but you get to explain to the Dark Lord if their minds are too damaged when we get back."

Rodolphus hesitated at that. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Bella! Dolohov! Time to go!"

"You always spoil my fun!" Bellatrix whinged as the torture curses were released.

"Our Lord will let you play later," Rabastan assured her. "Let's go while our luck is still holding out."

Suddenly an explosion between them and the students sent them all flying backwards. When the dust cleared, there was a woman standing in a depression in the street, wearing armor and carrying two swords. "Your luck just ran out!"

* * *

Rose had no idea how Diana had gotten to Hogsmeade — not when she had been lying unconscious in the hospital wing just a few hours earlier — but she wasn't in a position to ask. Instead she crawled over to Hermione and pulled out her wand. _"Protego!"_

"Rose?" Hermione asked hoarsely, then immediately coughed and grabbed at her throat.

"Don't talk. You screamed so much you damaged your throat — I know, I've been there. I'm so, so sorry. Can you raise a shield?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, then she gasped. Rose followed her line of sight to where Diana was cutting through the Death Eaters like a scythe through wheat. She was moving almost too fast for the human eye to follow, but Rose had no problem tracking her as she leapt and spun, slashed and stabbed.

"Isn't she amazing?" Rose asked, knowing that if she'd been able to do that, she could have protected her friends herself and Hermione wouldn't have suffered so much. If she could do that, she might actually have a chance of vanquishing Voldemort and surviving.

Curses were dodged or deflected with Diana's bracers, and Rose was certain that she deliberately sent the spells back into the Death Eater ranks instead of harmlessly into the buildings. Several Death Eaters were on the ground bleeding, and more than one of them was missing a wand arm or hand. Rose doubted that any of the injuries were immediately fatal, but she and Diana had talked about the fact that wizards and witches could quickly fix many injuries and keep casting spells. This forced the Amazon warrior to cause a lot more harm than she normally preferred to, simply to incapacitate.

"Can you start waking the others so they can protect themselves?" Rose asked.

Hermione pulled her wand and with a shaking hand began casting _"Rennervate!"_ at their unconscious friends. Not every spell worked the first time, but once the others were awake, they worked together to get the worst of the injured up against the nearest building and away from the fighting.

"Merlin, who is that?" Dean asked as he cast his own shield to protect himself and Seamus, whose head was bleeding badly.

Bellatrix cackled. "You're good, I'll give you that," she said as she danced out of the way of a deflected spell. "Why don't you tell me your name before I grow bored and kill you?"

"I AM DIANA BLACK!" the Amazon warrior roared. She launched herself into a mid-air somersault and brought the hilt down on a Death Eater's head as she landed, causing him to collapse bonelessly to the street. She then immediately ducked and rolled to avoid two curses cast from behind, one of which hit Dean's shield.

"That's my wife," Rose answered proudly.

"You _bitch!"_ Bellatrix screamed. "You're no Black! Our family is pure! There's no room for disgusting, perverted filth like you!" The mad witch redoubled her efforts, casting more and worse curses at an ever faster rate. Combined with the spells from the remaining Death Eaters, this finally put Diana on the defensive.

"She needs help!" Rose said as she staggered to her feet. She felt a hand grab her ankle, and she looked down to see Hermione looking back with fear in her eyes. "I have to," Rose said before turning to the others. "You know what to do. Keep your shields up to protect each other. Summon objects to block curses. Otherwise, don't attract attention to yourselves."

"You mean like you intend to do?" Neville asked a bit shakily as he got to his feet and followed.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you fight the Lestranges," Neville replied through clenched teeth, and Rose's objections died in her throat.

"Stand **still**!" Bellatrix screamed as she cast several dark-colored curses followed by a killing curse.

"Work on the others — let's give Diana breathing room," Rose ordered. She started casting a variety of charms and curses at the Death Eaters, all of whom had been focused on the woman with the swords in their midst. Rose and Neville managed to stun or injure a few before any of them noticed that there was another threat.

"Longbottom!" one of them cried. "Time to finish what my brother and his wife started fifteen years ago!" The tall Death Eater immediately fired off several nasty curses in their direction. Neither Gryffindor was in much shape to dodge, so they took shelter behind two hastily erected shields. Unfortunately the shields were almost as wobbly as they themselves were, and Rose felt hers start to buckle when suddenly a flurry of colorful spells lanced out from the left and into Rabastan. When Rose looked in that direction, she saw some of her friends still aiming their wands at the downed Lestrange.

 _"_ _ **Ossus erumpo!**_ _"_

Rose turned in time to see the bone-exploding hex strike Diana in the chest, sending her flying backwards and through the wall of the nearest building.

Bellatrix raised her arms in triumph. "I killed her! I killed her!"

"No!" Rose screamed. _"_ _ **Sectumsempra!**_ _"_ It was a spell she'd found in an old potions book which Slughorn had given her. It had been labeled "For Enemies," and she'd been wondering what it did. Who better to test it on than Bellatrix Lestrange?

The evil witch seemed to have a sixth sense and spun out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough to dodge the curse entirely. It clipped her side, and blood suddenly erupted from several cuts. Bellatrix's cries of joy turned to shrieks of pain as she went to her knees and clutched at bleeding wounds. "This isn't over, bitch!" she hissed. "I've finished off the Black family — again! — and now it's your turn!"

"Bella, no!" someone shouted.

 _"_ _ **Avada Ked**_ — _"_

Before she could finish her incantation, a sword abruptly burst out of her chest. Time seemed to stand still as she looked down at the blade, shocked. Blood bubbled out of her open mouth as she toppled sideways. Behind her, Diana was climbing through the ruined wall of the far building and holding just one of her two swords.

"Emergency escape!" called one of the Death Eaters, and a second later they all disappeared, including Bellatrix.

"Portkeys!" Neville spat. "Figures that the cowards would run."

Rose didn't care — all she had eyes for was the pale, bedraggled woman stumbling into the street. "Diana!" she cried as she ran to her wife, putting her arms around her waist as the Amazon's knees gave out. Rose grunted under the weight of so much armor and muscle and had to lock her own knees to keep them both upright.

"Are they gone?" Diana whispered.

"They're gone," Rose answered, her voice muffled against Diana's chest. "But you can't fall. You have to walk away first."

"You... have got... to be kidding..."

"I'll help," Rose promised, shifting so that they were standing side-by-side with Diana's arm draped heavily around Rose's shoulders.

"I can't believe... you're making me do this," Diana said as they staggered to where Rose's friends were still lying.

"I thought it was the Amazon code?" Rose responded. "And by the way, you're freaking heavy, did you know that?"

A burst of laughter came from Diana then, followed immediately by a groan. "Don't... make me... laugh," she pleaded, clutching her side with her free hand.

"Sorry," Rose said with a wince. "Most people would be dead after taking a bone-exploding curse straight to the chest, but I guess even you might have cracked a rib or two."

Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared with a crack, followed immediately by Amelia Bones and several aurors in red robes as Diana collapsed, unconscious, next to Hermione. A few seconds later, several more people wearing green robes appeared, all of them spreading out and tending to the wounded around Hogsmeade.

* * *

It was dark when Diana woke next, and she was immediately conscious of the many new injuries she'd received during the battle. Her chest tingled as if thousands of needles were pricking her. The pain meant that she was alive, though — alive and victorious.

A sound to her right drew her attention, but when she looked she couldn't see anything but an empty chair. She was certain that she could hear something, though. It sounded almost like... snoring...

Diana slowly reached out with her hand, and when she met resistance in the empty air, she grabbed and pulled back an invisibility cloak. Her wife appeared in the chair, bent over and asleep with her head on the bed. "Rose," she whispered, gently stroking the girl's red hair.

"Whuh?" Rose asked, blinking as she looked around. "Diana! You're awake! Are you feeling alright? Do I need to get Madam Pomfrey?"

"I'll be fine," Diana assured her tiredly. "I'm sore, but that's usually the case after a battle."

"I've been so worried about you!" Rose whispered. "Madam Pomfrey kept saying you were getting worse, and we didn't know when or even _if_ you'd wake up!"

"And you spent all your time here, didn't you?" Diana asked. "Even late at night, well after curfew?"

Rose looked away, refusing to meet Diana's eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I just didn't want you to be alone. I'll... I'll go."

Before she could stand up, Diana reached out with one hand and put it on Rose's cheek, gently pulling her around to face her again. "No, don't go."

Rose's eyes widened. "I can stay? You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. And the next time you visit my quarters, you can stay then, too." She slid as far as she could across the narrow bed and patted the empty space.

With an inarticulate cry of happiness, Rose joined her and burrowed into Diana's side. "How did you know to come help us?"

Diana held up her left hand. "It was the ring. Apparently it transmits pain, or at least an echo of pain. I felt it when you were being tortured. I also felt something the moment you were attacked on the stairs, though I didn't understand at the time what it was."

"Oh, wow," Rose replied, examining her own ring. "You know, I think I felt something when you touched the necklace. Well, that fits with the translation 'suffering together,' I guess."

"Maybe. I'll have to study it a bit more."

Silence fell between them. "You were really amazing out there," Rose said eventually.

"So were you."

But Rose was having none of it. "Not like you. I was useless, like at the bank. Even at the end, when I finally did something, I barely got in a couple of spells before I had to shield again."

"You helped your friends," Diana countered. "You got them together and protected them. Protecting the innocent from further harm is always the most important thing; hunting down and punishing the aggressors must come second."

"But you didn't—"

"I drew their attention away from you and onto me," Diana interrupted. "I attacked them all at once to ensure that they would need to focus on me. Plus, I knew you would act to protect your friends, leaving me free to focus on them entirely."

"Oh," Rose said. "So I guess I messed up your plan."

Diana shook her head. "No, I also knew that you wouldn't sit on the sidelines for long. My point is simply that ensuring the protection of the others was the most important job out there, and that's what you did."

"Not until you showed up, though," Rose insisted. "I was useless before that."

Diana frowned but said only, "Then we'll keep training."

* * *

"Just how furious is he?" Dumbledore asked as he stood over his pensieve, gently shifting around memories with his wand.

"As furious as I've ever seen him," Snape answered, sipping from a shaking glass of firewhiskey.

"Were you singled out?" He looked over at Snape now, concerned.

Snape shook his head. "Everyone suffered. I was punished for telling him that she was no great threat, though not as badly as I might have been given that this wasn't the first time she's fought Death Eaters. Those who have failed to smuggle the auror reports out of the DMLE had it worse. The Lestrange brothers bore the brunt of his ire because they were in charge of the mission and could have avoided what happened if they'd left sooner. Lucius was punished more severely than most, too, though I'm not sure why."

"And the condition of those who managed to escape?" Dumbledore returned to staring down into his pensieve.

"All but one returned alive, though not all in one piece. Two recent recruits who lost a hand or arm were killed outright as an object lesson to the others about the price of failure." Dumbledore winced at that. "The rest will heal, though they will bear the scars for the rest of their lives. The wounds her blades inflict resist magical healing."

"And the one who didn't return alive?"

"Bellatrix," Snape answered. "Pierced through the chest as she was by that sword, there was no hope. The Dark Lord has ordered that the weapon be studied. Even if she had survived the battle, however, it's unlikely that she would be alive now. The Dark Lord was told that she attempted to kill Potter at the last minute, despite having been warned repeatedly that no one was to kill her besides him. Even using the torture curse on Potter was risky. As useful as Bellatrix was, he would not have tolerated such insubordination."

The old man sighed and brought the subject back to Diana's weapons. "He is interested in her sword, then?"

"Very. It is heavy with magic, but not any magic he can identify."

Dumbledore nodded as if in understanding and shifted another memory. "That must vex him greatly, given how extensive his studies have been."

"You have no idea. He's convinced that she has other, similarly enchanted items and that this is how she defeated his Death Eaters."

"Good — that will buy us some time."

"Headmaster?"

Dumbledore went on, ignoring Snape's implied question. "According to Filtch's records, almost all the Slytherin students stayed inside the castle yesterday."

Now it was Snape's turn to wince. "I know. I'm sorry, but I had no warning, though obviously at least one of the students did."

"Mr. Malfoy?"

"Most likely. He hasn't said anything to me, but the timing of that cursed necklace being used..."

"Cannot be coincidental," Dumbledore finished. "However little Voldemort may have regarded her capabilities, he knew she was enough of a threat to want to remove her. We are fortunate that he was wholly unprepared for how much of a threat she truly is."

"I will make some discreet inquiries about who knew what and when," Snape said.

"I believe I may have made a mistake where Diana Black is concerned," Dumbledore said after a few moments silence.

"By letting her into the castle?"

"By being antagonistic towards her," Dumbledore corrected.

"She was effective," Snape admitted. "Brutal, but effective. And the loss of Bellatrix will certainly make things more difficult for the Dark Lord's plans. How did she even manage to get to Hogsmeade so quickly? And how did she recover from the curse?"

Brushing aside the other man's queries, Dumbledore said, "I believe she has been holding back, at least until Mrs. Potter was placed in immediate danger of being killed. And possibly even then, too."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "You know something, don't you?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Dumbledore said lightly. "There is much that I must review and study before I can be certain. Old memories that I have not revisited in many years. But I will say this, Severus," and here his voice turned grave, "you _must_ rein in your hostility towards the two of them. I know you've been doing better, but that may not be enough. Do not give her a reason to act, for I suspect that I will not be able to protect you."

"Headmaster?" Snape asked, shocked.

"I mean it," Dumbledore said, turning to face Snape again. "If I'm right in my suspicions, then I couldn't have stood up to her power even when I was young and in my prime. I certainly wouldn't be able to do it now."

Only when Snape acquiesced did the Headmaster turn back to his pensieve. "There is a great deal going on that has been hidden from us," the older wizard said, "and I fear that there are far greater powers at work than we can understand. All we can hope to do is not attract their wrath."

* * *

Both Rose and Hermione were in the hospital wing the next day, sitting with Diana while she recovered, when the Ministry visited again. This time Percy was accompanied by the Minister himself. The older man was wearing what appeared to be a very expensive set of silk robes, and as usual he was topped by his lime-green bowler hat.

"That's Cornelius Fudge, the wizard who trashed Rose's name last year," Hermione whispered.

"Dumbledore probably couldn't refuse him entrance," Rose speculated, and when the Headmaster himself followed the Minister's entourage a second later, the frown on his face suggested that she was right.

"Miss Potter!" Fudge exclaimed, reaching out to shake her hand as if they were old friends. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

"Yes, it seems like it was only yesterday that you put me on trial," Rose said icily. "And it's Mrs. Potter."

"Ah, yes, well," Fudge stammered, pulling back his hand awkwardly when she didn't accept it. "I wanted to first thank you for what you and your friends did yesterday in Hogsmeade. It's a pity that so many got away at the end, but still, none among the students or residents lost their lives. That counts as a victory in my book!"

"My wife Diana deserves most of the thanks," Rose said. "My friends and I were on the ground, being tortured and about to be taken to Voldemort when she arrived to save us. She is almost solely responsible for every injury or incapacitation."

"Uh, right, very nice," Fudge responded, pointedly ignoring Diana as he fidgeted with his bowler hat. "I wanted to talk to you about working with the Ministry. I understand from Weatherby that you're reluctant, even though we have a truly fantastic training program set up for you. The very best! What would it take to get you to publicly support us?"

Rose narrowed her eyes at the man. "It would be quite easy for me to support a Ministry that _worked_ — one that took decisive action against threats to the community and the people who lived in it. On the other hand, a Ministry that refuses to actively promote justice or to defend the innocent is one that isn't worthy of respect."

"Now see here, Miss Potter—"

" _Mrs._ Potter," she corrected again.

"Ahem, right, but you need to accept that there are all sorts of political realities that have to be taken into consideration before the Ministry can commit itself to any particular course of action. Not everything is black and white — the real world is infinitely complex with many competing interests at work. As a politician, it's my job to consult all interested parties before determining the course of action that is best for all those involved."

"I'll grant that the best policy choices aren't always obvious," Rose responded, eliciting a smile from the Minister. "However, some are. Some are obviously wrong, and if you can't get the _easy_ choices right, you'll never manage when it comes to the complex ones. Standing up against Voldemort and using the resources of the Ministry against him is the right choice. The only 'interested parties' that would object are the ones who support policies of murder, rape, and bigotry. If you consult and heed _them_ , then you have a lot of nerve coming here and asking for my support."

"You clearly don't understand the difficulties inherent in politics and government!" Fudge protested, his face reddening. "Politics is about dealing with the reality of a situation, not idealism; and the reality is that there are plenty of conservative wizards in our government who would be hurt if the Ministry took too hard of a line against Lord Thingy. That wouldn't matter, though, if you simply did your duty! You need to explain to the people how the Ministry is doing the best job it can, then go out and fulfill the prophecy!"

"Doing the best job it can? I'm afraid I can't do that, Minister."

"Whyever not?"

Rose held up her hand, displaying her scars. "Because the Ministry taught me that I must not tell lies."

Fudge's eyes bulged in rage and his red face was edging towards purple as he jammed his bowler back on his head and stormed out of the hospital wing.

"You haven't heard the last of this!" Percy declared before rushing to follow the others. Dumbledore smiled at them before leaving as well.

"Lord Thingy?" Diana asked in confusion.

"Apparently, even 'You-Know-Who' is a bit too much for him to handle," Hermione said, slowly shaking her head.

* * *

The following morning Diana was scheduled to be released, but before she'd been cleared to do so by Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore entered, closely followed by several goblins. She was already dressed and Rose was helping her gather the books she'd been reading when the Headmaster led the group to her bed. He stood aside as they approached, and she immediately recognized the goblin who had spoken to them in front of Gringotts after the battle there.

"Warrior," he greeted her. "You can call me Silverhaft. In recognition of your deeds, both outside Gringotts and in Hogsmeade, as well as a token of our respect in anticipation of renewed ties between your people and mine, the goblin nation would like to present you with these gifts." He gestured to the two smaller goblins behind him, and they stepped forward. One placed a shield carefully on her bed; the other laid a short sword on either side of it. All three were crafted in the ancient Greek style, and the shield was decorated with a relief of a warrior fighting on the steps of a building that looked suspiciously like Gringotts.

"I am honored," Diana responded as she hefted one of the swords. "This is a fine blade."

"A blade fit for a warrior like yourself," Silverhaft said. "Traditionally we only rent the tools we craft, though wizards and witches like to pretend that we have sold them." He shot Dumbledore a hard look. "In your case, however, these weapons are to become the property of your family line, for as long as it exists."

"Thank you," Diana said, giving the goblin a quick bow. "This comes at an especially welcome time, since I have lost one of the two I normally carry. I promise to use these weapons well." She picked up the other sword in her left hand and hefted it as well, admiring the balance. After a moment, both swords disappeared in a flash of light. When she picked up the shield, it, too, disappeared.

"I'm glad to see that they were accepted. Our people are eagerly looking forward to tales of the great deeds you will perform with them." Silverhaft gave her a short bow before turning and leaving with the others.

Dumbledore remained, however, eyeing Diana with curiosity.

"I'm surprised you let him in, Headmaster," Rose said.

"Normally I might not have," Dumbledore replied, continuing to watch Diana with a twinkle in his eyes. Rose almost dropped the books she was holding when he added, "But far be it from me to stand in the way of such fine weapons being gifted to any Amazon from Themyscira, much less to Wonder Woman herself."


	14. Vintage Gambling

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _On a Pale Horse,_ by Hyliian. This is another story where Dumbledore gets the bright idea to summon a hero from another world/universe to help out with his little Dark Lord problem. In this case, though, his world's Harry is still alive. And whom does Dumbledore summon? A rather unhinged Master of Death. Who doesn't like him very much. But he absolutely adores Harry! Hijinks ensue.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - Vintage Gambling**

 **Late November, 1996. Hogwarts.**

Sitting in front of the Headmaster's desk, Diana was tempted to do something she rarely did: fidget.

"Sherbet lemon?" the old man offered. Diana could tell from the twinkle in his eyes that he was enjoying dragging this out far too much.

"Thank you, no," she said resolutely, and when Rose had also declined, she got down to business. "We're in private now, Headmaster, so please explain: how did you learn who I am? And when?"

He smiled slightly. "The critical information came when you transformed in the hospital wing, then flew out of the window to Hogsmeade. Although the outfit you wore was different, your power of flight and your lasso gave you away."

Diana grimaced, remembering the pain and desperate need to find Rose. "Perhaps that wasn't the best way to handle things, but I wasn't able to help Rose when she was attacked in the castle. There was no way I was going to stand by and do nothing when I knew she was being attacked again."

"Quite understandable, given the circumstances," Dumbledore conceded.

"But how did that tell you who I was?"

"I knew Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman was a comrade of mine, albeit briefly, when we fought together in Nazi-occupied Europe. You must be Wonder Woman, for if you were not, then you would not be able to use those tools and you would not have those powers. Yet you are not the woman I fought alongside. And that, I must confess, is a mystery that intrigues me greatly."

Briefly Diana considered leaving him hanging now that the tables were turned, but then rejected the impulse as unworthy. "The answer to that is easy: the woman you fought alongside was my mother, Hippolyta."

"Indeed?" Dumbledore leaned forward over his desk, looking at her with even greater interest. "The resemblance is remarkable. When we first met, I was certain that I recognized you, but at the time it didn't occur to me to examine any of my memories from that long ago to find a similar face. Is this a mantle that is passed down from mother to daughter over the years?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you everything, but I'll explain what I can. First, though, what can you tell me about how you met my mother? I've heard so little about that time in her life. She tends not to talk about it."

Dumbledore smiled as he leaned back in his chair again. "Ah, that was one of the most interesting yet also perilous adventures of my life. Both due in part to your mother, by the way. I'd never met anyone as fearless or intimidating as her, nor her companions. It was quite the eye-opener." He stood and walked over to a tall cabinet at the side of his office. "Come, let me take you into my memory of the events in question. It is a grand and thrilling tale, but I think you will prefer seeing your mother in action rather than simply listening to my personal description."

It only took them a moment to enter the pensieve, and they all found themselves in a desolate, heavily-bombed area. It was late at night, but the full moon provided enough light to see by. "I assume you are familiar with what the muggles call World War II, Diana?" he asked as he began leading them through the barren forest. She nodded. "What is not widely known is that a dark wizard named Gellert Grindelwald was ultimately behind Hitler and the Nazis. Gellert tapped into ancient, arcane sources of mystical energy that empowered first Hitler himself, fueling his rise to power, and then later his armies, ensuring their incredible military successes."

"Yet they eventually failed," Diana noted.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, fortunately. Aside from overextending himself, Gellert did not anticipate how poorly he would be received by the magical communities of the nations invaded by Germany. You see, Gellert was not himself a Nazi, though he eagerly encouraged their beliefs for his own ends. No, he was a wizarding supremacist who believed that wizards and witches should rule over muggles. He expected other wizards and witches to flock to his banner, but most ended up opposing him. Their combined efforts gradually weakened his control of the mystical energies, and this ultimately made it easier for the muggle armies to begin pushing Germany back."

"Is that where we are now?" Rose asked.

"No, we are currently in occupied France, and the year is 1942," Dumbledore explained. "I won't be able to confront Gellert for a few years yet. One of the things he did to protect himself was erect a mystical barrier around Germany, then later around territories occupied by the Nazis. This prevented me and others from entering his realm to either undermine the German war machine or to attack him and his dark wizarding forces directly. This will be one of the first things to fall when the combined magics of his opponents later overwhelm his control of mystical energies. We didn't know that that would happen, naturally, so I had been monitoring his barrier in order to better understand it. I hoped that I might be able to devise a way to take it down. One weekend, while grading fifth year Transfiguration essays, an instrument of my own design alerted me to a large gap forming in his barrier. I immediately created a portkey to France and made my way here."

By this point they'd reached a village that had been all but destroyed by bombing and fighting. "Why did this gap develop?" Diana asked.

"It was a trap," Dumbledore said simply. "However, it was not a trap set for me, as you are about to see." He gestured towards a ruined statue in the middle of what was once the town square. Next to it stood a much younger version of Dumbledore, casting spells. "Right now I'm heavily disillusioned as I conduct my investigations, but since this is my memory you will be able to see me quite well."

"What... what is that you're wearing?" Rose asked, horrified.

"Ah, I remember that suit. It was my favorite muggle attire for many years. Unfortunately, it will be too badly damaged during the coming events, and I was unable to find another to replace it. I tried using magic to repair it, but it was never quite the same."

"But it's _purple!"_

"Plum, to be precise," present-day Dumbledore corrected her, a wistful smile on his face. "A plum velvet suit. Quite stylish when I was a young man."

Just then a gust of wind rushed past them, then seemed to move all through the town.

"What was that?" Diana asked, immediately on edge and searching for threats. She was pleased to note that Rose was also wary.

"That was my first indication that something unusual was happening," Dumbledore answered. "I knew that wind wasn't natural, yet I couldn't find any magical sources for it, either." He pointed to where his younger self was casting more spells in different directions before finally moving off at a trot towards a group of glowing red lights. "Ah, now I've discovered that the previously deserted village suddenly had a large number of visitors lurking outside. Let's follow and see what I found, shall we?" Diana couldn't help but notice that he certainly seemed to be enjoying this far more than their previous visit to a pensieve memory.

"Mother!" she exclaimed when they reached the outskirts of the village, finding Hippolyta and a group of strangely-dressed men, some of whom were familiar, standing opposite a group of American soldiers. Dumbledore waved his wand to pause the memory while Diana walked up to her mother and reached out, only to find that her hand passed through the image.

"Alas, memories are naught but insubstantial spectres of our past. We can only observe; we cannot interact."

"She hardly looks any different," Rose commented. "Except for the outfit. It's... rather different from yours, Diana."

"I wore a similar costume when I was active in the non-magical side of Patriarch's World. After the incident with Max Lord, I decided that a change was in order." Diana smiled as she watched her wife's eyes roam over Hippolyta and thought about wearing that costume again some time, albeit in private. She then leaned over to whisper, "And stop ogling my mother!" Rose blushed and made a point of looking away, pretending to study the other costumed people standing there.

"So your mother looks the same, even after all these years?" Dumbledore asked, clearly surprised.

Diana gave him a speculative look before deciding to tell him some of the truth. "My mother is over three thousand years old. Amazons are functionally immortal, unless they are injured too badly to heal or wish to pass on." She didn't notice Rose's deep frown.

"How interesting," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "Well, perhaps introductions are in order before we continue? Standing with your mother are men whom I later learned were members of the Justice Society of America: Hawkman, the Flash, the Green Lantern, Johnny Thunder, and the Atom. Over there is a team of American soldiers known as Easy Company under the command of Sergeant Rock."

"I recognize the superheroes," Diana said. "My mother was a member of the JSA for several years. But I don't think I remember her ever talking about a mission in occupied France."

"The soldiers look like they've just come off the battlefield," Rose observed.

"Most likely," Dumbledore said. "I was told that the members of Easy Company saw more fighting on the front lines than anyone else, and it shows." Dumbledore then waved his wand to restart the memory.

"It's about time you longjohn types got involved with this here war," said the sergeant, a big, burly man who was smoking a cigar.

"Hey, Sarge, who's the dame? I ain't never seen her before!" whispered one of the soldiers.

"Shaddap! If she's here with them, then she's here to help!" The sergeant turned back to the new arrivals. "We've got maps laid out in that barn. C'mon and we'll show you the layout and defenses of the Nazi castle you want to attack."

Everyone headed for the barn with Dumbledore following carefully behind, still disillusioned.

"With the presence of these strange people, I was hoping that I might learn something about why the mystical barrier had fallen — especially since I was able to sense traces of magic on some of them, including the woman," the current Dumbledore explained as he led Diana and Rose to the barn. Inside, everyone had gathered around a table where a large map had been laid out.

"Here's the castle — you can see it was built on top of a large hill, giving it a commanding view of the surrounding area. They got ack-ack gun emplacements here, here, here, and here. We estimate at least three companies of troops stationed in the castle, all elite SS, plus another veteran division stationed around the nearby town."

"I think we'll be able to get in easily enough. It's getting out after the alarm has been raised that will be a problem," Hawkman said.

The sergeant nodded. "That's what we figured, too. If you want, the 5th armored can stage an attack from the west, over here, drawing away at least some of the troops that are stationed around the town. You're on your own with the SS units in the castle, though."

"That will have to be enough," Green Lantern said.

"Who is it that you're going after?"

"A woman named Baroness Paula von Gunther," the Flash replied. "She's kidnapped Thunderbolt, one of our comrades, and we fear what will happen to the war effort once she is able to force him to do her bidding."

Seeing the sergeant's skeptical look, Johnny Thunder added, "He's sort of like a genie. If she gets full control of him, things could get... messy."

"And you're sure that this is where we need to go?" Hippolyta asked.

"The closer we get to that castle, the more shielded Thunderbolt's mystical energies become," Green Lantern answered. "So that has to be the place."

Upon hearing those words, the disillusioned Dumbledore perked up and carefully walked over to the table to examine the map.

"And here I make my first mistake," present-day Dumbledore said softly.

It was almost imperceptible, but Hippolyta stiffened ever so slightly as soon as Dumbledore was next to her. He noticed nothing, however, because he was too engrossed in looking at the map. Hippolyta narrowed her eyes and, faster than anyone could react, backhanded him in the face so hard that he went flying into the far wall, cracking the wood.

"What the hell?" Sergeant Rock exclaimed, and all the soldiers instantly raised their rifles.

"We have an intruder!" Hippolyta snapped as she stalked over to where Dumbledore lay in a heap.

"Ow!" Rose commented. "That must have hurt!"

Present-day Dumbledore nodded. "That was the second time in my life that I'd had my nose broken. Unlike the first time, however, I was never able to properly reset it, and it's been crooked ever since."

"I'm so sorry!" Diana felt compelled to say. "My mother usually isn't so... brutal."

"That's quite alright, my dear," Dumbledore replied. "In retrospect, I think I deserved it."

"I don't see anyone, Sarge!" one of the soldiers said.

"Neither do I," Hawkman agreed.

Hippolyta reached down with her free hand and lifted the disillusioned Dumbledore high into the air. "Whoever they are, they've somehow managed to render themselves invisible!"

"Easy Company! Take positions at the windows and doors in case there's more of 'em!" the sergeant commanded.

"I don't see nuthin'," one of the soldiers said, peeking over the edge of a window sill.

"Quiet!" barked another. "There could be an entire battalion of invisible Nazis out there right now, waiting for us!"

"Allow me to shed some light on the subject," Green Lantern said as he raised his ring hand, causing Hippolyta and Dumbledore to be bathed in an eerie green light.

"I see 'im, Sarge, I see 'im!"

"Now that he's visible, we can interrogate him," Hawkman declared. "We can't take any chances that our enemies have been warned about our impending visit."

"Wake up!" Hippolyta shouted as she slammed Dumbledore into the wall several times.

"That's going to leave a mark!" Rose said with a wince.

"Indeed it did," present-day Dumbledore muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "And I'm not sure I entirely deserved _that_."

After a moment, Dumbledore woke and looked around at all the angry faces staring at him.

"And this is where I make my second mistake," present-day Dumbledore said as his younger self quickly raised a wand and incanted, _"_ _ **Stupefy!**_ _"_

As fast as he was, Hippolyta was faster, bringing up her left hand in time to deflect the spell into the ceiling with her bracelet. It was still powerful enough to push her away, though, allowing Dumbledore to drop to his feet and begin casting more spells. Fortunately for the others, the Green Lantern had used his ring to raise a shield around them all.

Before Dumbledore could get over his shock at being countered so easily, Hippolyta had pulled out her golden lasso and wrapped him up in it. "Enough!" she shouted. "Tell us who and what you are, old man!"

"Wow, your mum sounds furious," Rose commented.

"Yes, I've rarely seen her so angry," Diana agreed.

"She later explained that she was mostly angry with herself for having let me get so close before she detected me," present-day Dumbledore said. "But I didn't know that at the time, of course, and genuinely feared that that woman would destroy me with her bare hands."

"I... I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," the captured wizard answered. "I... I am professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland."

"He don't sound like no Nazi, Sarge."

"Just 'cuz he ain't got no kraut accent don't mean he ain't workin' for 'em."

"He don't dress like no Nazi, neither."

The sergeant pushed his helmet back and scratched at his forehead. "Yeah... I'll give you that one, Private, but I ain't sure _anyone_ dresses like that."

"What's a Scottish school teacher doing here?" Hawkman demanded.

"I... I am investigating why a gap appeared in Gellert's barrier tonight. If it's going down for good, we might be able to attack and end the war."

"Gellert? Who's Gellert?" Hippolyta asked.

"Gellert Grindelwald, the dark wizard who is behind Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. I... he and I..." Dumbledore hung his head and sobbed softly. "There's no way to save him anymore, is there? He's completely lost his way... but I _must_ try. I cannot simply give up."

The others looked at each other uncomfortably for a moment before Hippolyta continued the interrogation. "So you're not here to spy on us? To warn Baroness von Gunther?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I followed you because I thought I might learn about what is happening. I would never warn the Baroness, for she is one of Gellert's apprentices. She's a capable witch, according to the reports of those who know her, and she will be difficult to defeat in battle."

"Oh, this mission keeps getting better and better," the sergeant muttered.

"Can you defeat her?" Green Lantern asked. "Or, if not, do you know someone who can?"

"If she is alone, I believe I can. If Gellert is there, however..." Dumbledore seemed to gaze off into the distance for a moment. "If Gellert is there, it will be much more difficult for me."

"They are an effective team, then," Hawkman concluded.

Dumbledore nodded and said softly, "Yes, that's true, too." He then blinked hard several times before looking around, stunned. "Why did I simply tell you all of that? Why do I feel compelled to answer all of your questions? I haven't seen you use any spells or potions on me!"

"This golden lasso allows me to control you, including forcing you to speaking truth," Hippolyta explained, sounding a little less angry now. "So long as you are bound by it, its magic makes it impossible for you to lie — either to me or to yourself."

"We may need a new plan," Johnny Thunder observed. "If the Baroness is a powerful witch already, who knows how much more powerful she is now with Thunderbolt helping her out."

"Take me with you — let me help," Dumbledore suddenly said. "I know more about the Baroness than you do."

"What do you know about Bahdnisian magic?" Johnny asked. "That's what she used to capture Thunderbolt."

"I have read a bit on the subject, but I've never used such magic myself," Dumbledore admitted.

Hawkman stepped up to the headmaster and looked him directly in the eye. "Can we trust you? Trust you to help the team and not stab us in the back?"

"Yes, so long as you are fighting against Gellert and those he has enslaved to his will."

Hawkman looked satisfied. "Good enough for me. How about you, Wonder Woman?"

Hippolyta nodded and untied Dumbledore. Once she had her rope on her belt again, she stepped close to Dumbledore and stared down at him menacingly. "We can work as allies for now, but I will be keeping my eye on you, old man. It will take more than that to fully earn my trust and respect."

Dumbledore gulped audibly as he nodded. He tried to brush the dust and dirt off his suit as he stood, but his efforts didn't produce much improvement.

"So the limey is on our side now, Sarge?"

"Yeah, don't shoot the purple limey, Private."

"You have my thanks," Dumbledore said, looking around a bit uncomfortably at the suspicious faces. "I apologize for trying to attack you, madam, but we wizards and witches are supposed to keep our existence a secret. It's the law. However, I now realize that all or most of you are already aware of magic, even if it's of a different sort from my own." Everyone tensed when he pulled out his wand again, but he simply used it to heal his nose — though it remained crooked.

"We shouldn't waste any more time," Hawkman announced, breaking the uneasy silence. "That barrier has only been down for a few hours, so they won't have had time to erect extra defenses. The sooner we hit them, the more likely it is that we'll catch them with their pants down."

* * *

"Remarkable," Dumbledore commented as he looked around at the complete absence of any sort of plane as the team flew through the air. "Absolutely remarkable. And you say that no one outside can see us at all? We're as invisible as the plane is?"

"Exactly," Hippolyta answered.

"Your magic is astounding!"

"It is cool," Rose agreed from one of the rear seats. "It's freaky riding in it at first, but you get used to it."

"You had a chance to ride in it? On your trip back to Britain, I assume?" present-day Dumbledore asked quietly, and Rose nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. It is a unique experience that I'm sure few ever have an opportunity to enjoy."

"...Actually, this plane is based on advanced technology, not magic," Hippolyta was saying to her passenger. "My belt, tiara, and lasso were all fashioned by the gods, however, and so they are imbued with the magic of their creators."

"Gods? As in, the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses? They truly exist?"

"Of course they do," Hippolyta answered. "They are the source of my power and even my life. They may have largely withdrawn from human affairs, but they aren't entirely absent. They still care about those of us who recognize their authority, and they still occasionally influence events. They watch over me even now."

"How interesting," Dumbledore responded, surreptitiously glancing upward.

"Look down there!" Johnny Thunder called out. "It's the castle!"

"Good thing they can't see us," the Atom noted.

"There's something happening in the courtyard," Hippolyta said as she began to turn the plane. "Is that an explosion?" Before anyone could answer, there was a blinding flash of light and they were all suddenly in a large cage made of what looked like tree branches that had been twisted together.

"What happened?" Rose exclaimed.

"This was the trap I mentioned earlier," present-day Dumbledore explained calmly. "It was set for the JSA, and I happened to be caught in it. Quite fortuitously, too, as you will soon discover."

Hippolyta spent several minutes hacking away at the cage with her sword, but the wood regrew as fast as she destroyed it. "It's no use," she said once she finally gave up. "It will take more than brute force to free us from this cage!" She immediately began pacing back and forth, examining different places for possible weaknesses.

"Your mother was most perturbed," present-day Dumbledore noted. "In fact, I think she may have been even angrier now than when she hit me earlier."

"Yes, she would be," Diana agreed. "Being shackled is the one thing all Amazons fear and hate most. Being put in a cage like this is a close second."

"Drat!" exclaimed the Green Lantern. "Despite its mystical properties, this cage is made of wood, which is the one substance my ring cannot affect!"

"Wood?" Rose asked, gobsmacked. "He has a powerful, magical ring, and he can't affect anything made out of wood?"

"A most curious weakness, I agree," present-day Dumbledore said. "The only thing more bizarre would be an inability to operate against some particular shape or color."

Diana cleared her throat but didn't comment. Hal Jordan was a friend of hers, after all, and she didn't want to speak ill of him.

Dumbledore waved his wand and recited several incantations under his breath. Part of the wooden cage shimmered and seemed to fluctuate for a moment, yet quickly reverted to its prior form and even grew, filling in the holes until they were contained in a solid box. "It seems that I am unable to transfigure this into any other substance. How odd."

"A perfectly executed trap, prepared well in advance to counter all of our powers," Hawkman observed. "Clearly the evil Nazis we're dealing with have a higher than average intelligence."

"Oh, it isn't the Nazis you need to worry about, Hawkman, but me!" said a voice behind them. Everyone turned around and saw a tall woman with dark hair, her deathly-pale skin thrown into sharp relief by the skimpy black dress she wore.

"Paula von Gunther?" Dumbledore asked, his face betraying his shock.

"Yes, but oh-so-much more as well! Behold, I am now also the Dark Angel!" She paused to look the wizard up and down. "Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore! I never expected to capture you in my net, but Herr Grindelwald will be most pleased when I inform him."

"Hey, how'd she get in here? There ain't no doors!" Johnny Thunder exclaimed.

"It's all thanks to you," the woman answered. "Once you handed control over the Thunderbolt to me, you freed me from all normal limitations. There is almost nothing that I cannot do to further the aims of my master, Grindelwald. And the first thing I intend to do is see to your deaths!"

"We'll fight you!" Hippolyta declared, raising her sword.

"No, you'll choose!" Dark Angel replied. "You have five minutes to choose who will leave first to be executed. If you don't sacrifice one of your group, then _I'll_ pick, and their death will be _so_ much slower and more painful. Either way, your humiliation will be filmed and then broadcast around the world to demonstrate how weak the democracies of the West have become compared to the magic and might of fascist Germany!"

"You'll not succeed in your foul plans, witch!" Hippolyta shouted as she leapt forward and slashed at the Dark Angel with her sword. Instead of carving through flesh and bone, however, the sword simply sliced through thin air.

"Oh, you're so _predictable_ , Wonder Woman!" the Dark Angel scolded, sounding almost bored. "Did you truly believe that I would bother entering this little prison cell of yours when I can simply send an astral projection? Clearly you're all brawn and no brains — so if your companions don't do as I command and choose who will be executed first, I think I'll pick you to be tortured slowly to death!" With that, the Dark Angel slowly faded away.

"What happened to that poor woman?" Diana asked.

"She looked like a vampire to me," Rose said.

"Paula von Gunther was once a blonde-haired, blue-eyed witch who looked as normal as anyone," present-day Dumbledore said with a sad expression on his face. "During the war, however, her desire to serve Grindelwald led her to stare deeply into the abyss of mystical energies — too deeply, in fact. Eventually something stared back, right down into the depths of that poor woman's soul."

"Was there ever any chance of saving her?" Diana asked, but Dumbledore simply shook his head and looked away.

"She was telling the truth. According to my ring, that was nothing but a mystical projection," Green Lantern said.

"That's a remarkable device," Dumbledore said.

"It was fashioned from a green flame meteor that fell to Earth thousands of years ago," the superhero explained. "I have yet to unlock all of its secrets, but it has proven effective against both physical and mystical threats."

"Pity it's stuck in here with us instead of out there, where it could do some good," Johnny Thunder observed as he looked around at their wooden cage. "I don't know if we're going to survive this, guys."

"If we must sacrifice ourselves to protect others, then I will not hesitate to step forward," Dumbledore declared, "but I do not believe that our situation is quite so dire. Not yet, at any rate."

Hippolyta nodded. "Among my people, it is not an enthusiasm to rush into battle which denotes bravery, but rather a willingness to stand between danger and innocent victims, even at the cost of one's own life. We are warriors, but we are trained first and foremost to protect, not to attack. To give of ourselves, even if it means our very lives."

"That is the essence of love," Dumbledore said in agreement, and for the first time, Hippolyta smiled at him.

"I'd volunteer to be the first for execution, but she'll be expecting that," Green Lantern mused. "She's shown herself to be incredibly well-informed, and undoubtedly has a fiendish plan to nullify my ring's powers."

"Unless we could do something to ensure that she is not prepared," Dumbledore suggested.

"What do you mean?" Hippolyta asked.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and asked, "May I?" When the Green Lantern nodded, Dumbledore began waving his wand over the man, softly reciting a complicated incantation. After a few moments, there were two versions of Hawkman standing in the wooden prison cell.

"Great Hera! I can't tell them apart!" Hippolyta exclaimed.

"It's like we're twin brothers!" one of them said.

"No, I'm definitely prettier," said the other.

"Oh, sweet Merlin," Rose said, hanging her head in her hands. "Is this something that happens to all twins? No, it can't be — the Patils don't do it. It must be a thing with blokes!" Diana patted her shoulder in sympathy.

The present-day Dumbledore chuckled softly while his past self transformed the original Hawkman into a duplicate of the Green Lantern. "Now you and that marvelous ring can be taken out of our cell without anyone being fully prepared for what they will be facing," Dumbledore said with satisfaction.

Once their five minutes had passed, Dark Angel appeared again. "Well?" she asked. "Have you made a decision, heroes? Which of you will be sacrificed to endure a humiliating execution?"

"I'm the lucky winner, witch," Hawkman said, stepping forward. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Excellent!" Dark Angel replied, grabbing the man roughly by the arm. "Your fate will be much kinder than it would have been for Wonder Woman if I'd have been forced to pick her. You will be merely skinned alive over the course of an entire day!"

As the pair began to disappear, she had a parting shot for the rest: "Don't worry, you'll all get your turns. I'm disappointed that none of you tried to escape again, but perhaps you aren't nearly as brave as your press clippings suggest!"

"Just you wait, witch," Hippolyta hissed as she hefted her sword. "You're time is coming, and much sooner than you realize."

"Sadly, we must wait as well," the younger Dumbledore observed. "I've often found that sitting back and waiting for others to act is much harder than being the one who goes out into danger."

Hippolyta regarded him thoughtfully. "Indeed, it has ever been so. The warriors who ride out to battle have it much easier than the families who sit at home, waiting for news and never knowing until the last moment whether the news they await be joyous or sad."

"And that is the position we currently find ourselves in," Dumbledore said. "We must wait, and hope for the best."

"Well, wait no more!" came a highly-charged voice as one side of the wooden cell was ripped apart. Outside was a floating creature whose features looked vaguely human, except that he was enormous. And bright pink.

"Finally! I thought we'd never get to see you, Thunderbolt!" Johnny Thunder exclaimed.

"Oh, great, thanks," the pink being cried. "The Green Lantern manages to free me and I finally decide to help you voluntarily, and there you go forcing the magic words on me anyway!"

"Huh?"

"You said 'see you,' Johnny," Hippolyta said softly. "That's too close to the Bahdnisian magic words used to control Thunderbolt."

"Oh, yeah. Huh, I forgot," Johnny said ruefully.

"No use crying over spilt milk," said Hawkman, who was having his glamor removed by Dumbledore. "It's time to get to work and kick some Nazi keester!"

And that was what the Justice Society proceeded to do. Even the elite SS troops who were standing guard were no match for the mighty American superheroes. Thunderbolt zapped them with electrical beams; Hawkman and Atom beat them senseless; Hippolyta sliced apart their weapons, then sent the men flying into walls; Dumbledore used transfiguration to turn all the debris against the soldiers; and the Flash ran around causing his usual chaos. Once they found the Green Lantern, he used his magical ring to create green constructs that either shielded the other heroes or incapacitated more troops.

Eventually they fought their way to Dark Angel herself, and Hippolyta ran forward to confront the corrupt witch personally. "The evil in you runs deep — I can sense it. You need to be stopped for the good of all humanity! Surrender now!"

"Please," Dumbledore added, "there's no need for any more senseless violence."

"This isn't over! You may have won the day, but you haven't won the war — I promise I'll have my revenge on you eventually. And when you least expect it, too."

"So be it!" Hippolyta exclaimed, swinging her blade through the Dark Angel, only to slice thin air. "Sweet Aphrodite, she's done it again!"

"That dame's got some disappearing act," Johnny Thunder agreed.

It didn't take long after that for the Justice Society to mop up the remaining troops and leave the castle, and once that was done, the memory ended and they found themselves back in Dumbledore's office.

"Paula von Gunther must have managed to get a message to Gellert, because the gap in the mystical barrier soon disappeared. Luckily we were all on our way back to Britain by that point, so we weren't trapped in occupied France for the rest of the war. I even managed to finish grading the essays for class on Monday."

"Was that the only time you ever met my mother?" Diana asked as they sat back in their chairs.

"I never had the opportunity to work with her again," Dumbledore answered regretfully. "My path led me to confronting Gellert, then later to being given many heavy responsibilities here in wizarding Britain, so I was kept thoroughly busy here; and her own duties in America never brought her back to Britain. After this mission, however, she accompanied me back to Scotland to learn more about the sort of magic I wield, and we spent the evenings together for a few weeks, sharing stories about magic and war." Dumbledore paused with a wistful look on his face. "So many conversations, long into the night in Hogsmeade. Alas, that was the only time we spent in each other's company. Tell me, are you in contact with her?"

"We exchange occasional messages," Diana said. "It turns out that owls, being the favored animals of Athena, find it easy to travel to Themyscira and back."

"And have you mentioned me?"

"No, I haven't. Why?"

Dumbledore smiled and pushed his candy bowl across his desk. "Please, take a sherbet lemon and send it to your mother, compliments of 'Al.'"

Diana looked at him dubiously, but after a moment she grudgingly took one. "I'll do it, but I hope I don't regret it."

"No, I don't think you will," Dumbledore said with a chuckle.

"Since you answered my question, it's only fair that I answer yours," Diana said. "My mother adopted the role of Wonder Woman as penance for some... misdeeds of hers. She found that she enjoyed it and continued it well beyond what was necessary. She was not, however, _officially_ Wonder Woman — it was only a temporary term of service." She didn't mention the time travel element of her mother's adventures, not wanting to complicate matters.

Dumbledore nodded. "Interesting. I assume that you do not wish any of this to become known more widely?"

"No, I'd rather keep it all as private as possible. The more others underestimate me, the better."

"Is that even possible now?" Rose asked. "I mean, they might not know who she is, but after what she did in Hogsmeade..."

"At the moment, Voldemort is convinced that Diana's success is due to heavily enchanted equipment."

"My sword?"

"Exactly. So long as he is focused on unraveling the mystery and magic of that, he will be less inclined to believe that an unknown American woman, witch or not, was powerful enough to defeat all of his Death Eaters." Dumbledore looked at Diana inquiringly.

"That sword was crafted by Io in a forge first ignited by Hephaestus," Diana explained. "It will not give up its secrets easily."

"Excellent. I will ask Severus to see if he can muddy the waters further to keep others ignorant of the true scope of your abilities." The other two nodded. "Well, I'm sure you two would like to get to dinner, and it is getting late. Thank you for indulging an old man and his memories."

"No, thank you for sharing your memory of my mother," Diana said with a smile as they stood to leave.

* * *

"Do you want to come spend some time in my room?" Diana asked once they were down in the corridor. "I meant what I said about not forcing you away after curfew."

Rather than the enthusiastic response she expected, Diana was surprised when Rose stopped and frowned. "Not... not right now. I think I'd rather go back to the dorm."

"Is something wrong?"

Rose shook her head. "No, not exactly. I... I have some things I need to think about. I'll see you later." She gave Diana a perfunctory peck that landed somewhere near her mouth, then without another word, she hurried away.

Hurt and confused, Diana stared at her retreating back, wondering what she might have done wrong now. Thoughts of Rose soon gave way to other worries, however, and with a grimace, she turned and headed back to the Headmaster's office.

"Mrs. Black? Is there something I can help you with?" Dumbledore was still there, working behind his desk when she entered for the second time that day.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, of course. Have a seat."

Diana sat silently for a moment, searching for the right words. "I'm concerned about Rose. You know that I've been training and teaching her."

Dumbledore nodded. "I admit that I was not in favor of this course of action when you first told me about it, but I have come to reconsider my original objections. Indeed, I see now that I should have instituted some form of training for her following events in the Ministry last year. Or perhaps earlier. How is she coming along?"

"In training? Fine," Diana answered. "Or about as well as can be expected. She pushes herself hard."

Dumbledore frowned. "I take it from your tone that this is what concerns you?"

"Partly. She's pushing herself _too_ hard, trying to live up to a standard she'll never be able to meet."

The old wizard gave her a knowing look. "I see," he said simply.

"Then when she inevitably falls short of her own expectations, she thinks she's — as you British would say — rubbish." Diana shook her head in frustration. "In point of fact, she handles herself well and shows no lack of courage in defending herself and others, but she can't see that. I think maybe she's still haunted by what happened to her friends at the Ministry and can't get past it."

Dumbledore sighed as he took off his glasses. "What do you intend to do? You must have some plan in mind, and one that will require my involvement."

"She needs more self-confidence," Diana said. "She needs to realize that she's not useless, even if she isn't perfect. And for that she needs more experience in actual combat."

"Surely you don't intend to seek out conflicts?" Dumbledore asked, his eyebrows climbing.

"Of course not," Diana replied. "But at the same time, I think it would be a mistake to hold her back from a real fight should something come up. We should both keep this in mind."

"I had wanted to protect her for as long as I could."

"I'm afraid the time for that is past," she said, quietly but firmly. "Training is all well and good, but it won't be enough. Sooner or later she'll have to face Voldemort, and she can't go into that fight doubting herself."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, his thoughts apparently far away; but as the silence dragged on he looked up and noticed her pensive expression. "I take it you have more on your mind than Mrs. Potter's destiny?"

"You told us during the summer that Severus is your spy in Voldemort's camp. Has he... have you heard anything about that woman I impaled with my sword?"

The old man's expression became grave. "Bellatrix Lestrange. She did not survive her injuries."

Diana leaned forward and sighed deeply. "I was afraid of that. Though I had hoped that her wounds wouldn't be fatal, given how powerful magical medicine is."

"Magic can't cure everything," Dumbledore said before giving her a long, considering look. "I'm surprised that you regret her death. I believe you told me and my staff at the beginning of the year that you would resort to deadly force if the situation called for it."

"From what I understand, she was one of Voldemort's most fanatical followers and was responsible for a significant number of deaths herself. I imagine that the world will be a better place without her in it," Diana admitted. "But that doesn't mean that I wanted to be responsible for killing her."

"Then why did you use deadly force? You managed to incapacitate the others without killing them."

Diana took a deep breath. "I... I was so angry. I was already upset when I saw Rose and Hermione being tortured, but I managed to maintain control when attacked, drawing everyone's attention to myself. When I saw that woman begin to cast the killing curse at Rose, though... I don't remember what I was thinking at the time. I'm not sure I was _thinking_ anything at all — I just felt an incredible amount of rage. I wanted to stop her and was prepared to do anything necessary to protect Rose."

"So you acted in the heat of the moment to stop the imminent death of another person — a person you also happen to love. I imagine that few people would fault you there."

"I can!" Diana's fist slammed down on the arm of her chair, cracking it. "I'm better than that!"

"But this isn't the first time you've deliberately used your power to cause the death of others."

Diana deflated slightly. "You know about that?" Dumbledore nodded. "That... was a different situation. I wasn't happy about having to kill, but I did so after considering all the alternatives. Once it was clear to me that there were no other viable options, no other paths that would protect the innocent, that's when I acted. I regret that it had to be done, but I don't regret doing it. This time, though... this time I acted without thinking. I took a life without trying to find some other solution." Diana paused and rubbed at her temples. "After I killed Max Lord, my friends turned their backs on me. They accused me of being a violent killer, of being too willing to cross a line that powerful people like us should never cross. I rejected their criticism at the time, but now..."

"Now you fear that maybe they were correct?"

"And that maybe I'm not worthy of being my people's ambassador to the rest of the world."

"To be fair, I think your friends make a valid point." Diana looked up at the Headmaster, prepared for his condemnation. "I myself am a powerful individual, more powerful than most witches and wizards. The last time Voldemort was active, I had to take great care in holding myself back, lest I inadvertently cause significant harm. I assume that this is a concern which your friend Superman also has."

"He could kill a normal human with one finger. He's always conscious of how much stronger he is than everyone else, and that's why he's created strict limits on what he'll do."

"That's wise of him. It took me quite a while to learn that lesson."

"So you think I've failed, too?"

"Not necessarily." Diana felt a glimmer of hope as he went on. "While it is unfortunate that you did not act with more consideration, this does not mean that you exercised poor judgment. If you are trained as well as I believe you have been, then that means you've trained to act quickly and decisively, even when you don't have time to ponder all the options."

Diana nodded slowly. "That is true."

"While it is possible that you might have achieved your ends via some other means, you chose the one which guaranteed that Bellatrix could not kill Rose. The fact that you were afraid for Rose and angry at her attackers does nothing to sully your decision. It was the right thing to do."

"I'm surprised to hear you of all people say that, after what you said to me at the start of term."

"And I believe I also said that I would think on your comments," Dumbledore responded. "In doing so, I've come to realize that I may have allowed my own past to cloud my judgment when it comes to Mrs. Potter. I still believe in the importance of restraint, but I am less certain now that I know where the line between proper restraint and reckless action can be found."

"Your own past? You're talking about killing." It wasn't a question, but Dumbledore nodded. "How did you handle it? Afterwards, I mean."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and his eyes lost focus as he gazed into the distance. "I can still remember the first time I killed someone in battle..."

As Diana sat there and listened to the Headmaster, she wondered if the phrase "in battle" was significant, but refrained from asking.

* * *

The following day, Diana only saw Rose from a distance; every time she tried to approach her, the girl disappeared. When she was inclined to be annoyed by this turn of events, she schooled herself to patience and tried to give Rose space. Surely her wife would come to her when she was ready.

And indeed, she did come that night, slipping into her room under the invisibility cloak.

"I'm sorry I've been such a bitch today," Rose said immediately. "I've been trying to wrap my head around something, and I felt that I needed to be alone to do it."

"That's fine — I had some things I needed to work out last night, too," Diana replied. Patience notwithstanding, she was still more hurt than she was willing to let on, but she didn't want to start an argument. "Are you ready to talk about it?"

Rose sighed and dropped heavily to the couch. "Not really, but I keep going around in circles by myself."

"What is it?" Diana asked as she sat next to her wife.

The young witch kept staring straight ahead, refusing to look at her. "Did you mean what you said last night? Are you truly immortal? I mean, are you going to look like this forever, even if I manage to live until I'm old and wrinkled?"

Diana closed her eyes and slumped in her seat. She'd forgotten that she'd let that slip. Annoyance and then anger began to well up inside her. "I hadn't intended for you to find out like this—"

"So it **is** true?" Rose demanded as she pulled away and turned to face her. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Rose, listen to me," Diana said, grabbing Rose's shoulder. "I was going to tell you, but I wanted to wait until we were both a bit more invested in our marriage first."

"How can you get invested in our marriage when _I'm_ going to _die_ while _you'll_ live on for hundreds and thousands of years after I'm dead and buried?"

Diana took a deep breath so she could get a handle on her frustration. _Where is all this anger coming from? ...Oh, Sweet Aphrodite, it's bleeding over from her, isn't it? This wasn't how I'd wanted to deal with the issue — though it doesn't help that Rose apparently hasn't figured out that I might have to watch her grow old and die, then spend eternity with nothing but memories of her..._

Resolutely putting a stop to that line of thinking, she just as firmly pushed aside the anger and said, "I can be killed, Rose, so I won't necessarily live that long. I may not even outlive you." Perversely, Rose seemed even more upset at that idea, so Diana rushed ahead. " _However_ , I'm not convinced that you have to die so soon. There are options."

"Like what?" Rose asked, her expression wary. "The Philosopher's Stone is gone, even if I knew how to use it."

"The what? No, this is something else entirely. I had hoped to discuss it much later, maybe in a few years, but... it may be possible to petition the goddesses for assistance." It suddenly occurred to Diana that with what she now knew about Olympus' involvement in their relationship, such a petition might stand a much better chance of succeeding than she'd have otherwise expected.

"You mean, the Greek goddesses? Why would they care?" Despite her words, a flicker of hope came into her expression.

"They are the ones who gave Amazons our immortality in the first place," Diana explained. "They gave me life, and they gave me my powers. They are certainly capable of giving you immortality, too, if they find merit in your petition. You'll probably be expected to adopt more of our ways after living on Themyscira for a few years, but it is possible."

"So, I'd need to be worthy of their help," Rose said slowly, a look of determination settling onto her features. "If that's what it takes, then that's what I'm going to do."

"A laudable goal, to be sure, but it's not one that you need to focus on at the moment."

Rose relaxed finally and allowed Diana to draw her into an embrace. "I guess not."

It was a long time before she snuck back out.


	15. Double or Nothing

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _A Long Journey Home_ , by Rakeesh. I've recommended this one before, but as one of the best FemHarry fics out there, it's worth recommending again. Jasmine Potter, the Girl Who Won, has had a much longer and more interesting life than her best friends ever realized. At the very least, read chapters 1, 2, and 8!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 15 - Double or Nothing**

 **Early December, 1996. Hogwarts.**

The _Daily Prophet_ reported on the Hogsmeade attacks that Monday, and Rita Skeeter was in fine form. Her article deftly switched between criticizing the Death Eaters for attacking a peaceful village, criticizing Rose Potter for her failure to stop the attacks, and criticizing Diana Black for how she chose to stop the attacks.

 **HOGSMEADE ATTACKED!**

 **Cowering Savior Rescued by Depraved Deviant!**

 _Dozens of witches and wizards were injured on Saturday, some seriously, when Death Eaters descended upon the peaceful village of Hogsmeade. The goal of the attack wasn't to terrorize but to find and capture the Girl Who Lived and Prophecy's Chosen One, Rose Potter. And did our savior stand to fight off the Death Eaters? No! Instead, she cowered in the dirt with her friends while the innocent residents of Hogsmeade were cursed._

 _Luckily for her, the wonton American who has been corrupting the Girl Who Lived showed up to distract them, confusing them with a variety of bizarre muggle fighting techniques that consisted mostly of exposing her legs and cleavage. According to witnesses, numerous Death Eaters were injured when they allowed themselves to become flustered by the sight of so much illicit skin and profligate behavior._

 _This reporter has recently learned that the American, who has taken to using the name Black to associate herself with one of Britain's darkest and most deviant families, acted similarly in a fight outside of Gringotts in August. In that altercation, three Death Eaters were captured, one of whom was injured severely. Although the DMLE has not been forthcoming with details of their investigation, anonymous witnesses report that the barbarous and busty Black likely used her warped wiles then as well. It is unknown how many innocent children were caught in the glare of her deviancy at the time, but we are looking into it._

 _We should count ourselves lucky that stalwart and trustworthy aurors arrived from the Ministry almost immediately after the fight was over to clean up the scene in front of Gringotts and remove Black before she could cause any further harm._

 _These incidents raise the question of whether this American is even a witch at all. Between the lack of spellcasting and gross sexual immorality, it seems far more likely that she's a mere muggle. But what attraction could a muggle have for a witch like the Girl Who Lived? It's well known that she was raised by muggles, and that might have irreparably damaged her values — something for which Albus Dumbledore will surely be called to account. It's also been reported that her muggle family was killed and their heads delivered to her, possibly as tribute or even as proof of a job well done, which raises questions of whose side she's on. Everyone knows the Black family sided with You-Know-Who last time, so if Rose Potter is associating with Blacks now — muggle or not — then where do her loyalties truly lie?_

 _Has the Chosen One abandoned us to join You-Know-Who? Or, worse yet, is she a Dark Lady herself who is waiting for the opportunity to take over?_

"This... this..." Rose was practically vibrating with anger.

"Is the worst yet," Ron finished for her. "The worst by far. It's like they're writing about someone else entirely."

There were murmurs of agreement around the Gryffindor table, more this time than in previous instances of the _Prophet_ publishing lies.

"And since the Death Eaters weren't gathering us together on the main street," Neville added, "there were few people around to see what happened. So there's no one who can easily contradict this report."

"Not that they'd understand what they saw," Rose admitted. "Diana moves so fast."

"I didn't even recognize her at first, despite seeing her at so many DA meetings," Dean agreed. "And those who did see will probably start believing this account of it. You don't need charms to modify memories — people change their stories all the time based on what they hear from others."

In the moody silence that followed, Hermione leaned close to Rose and whispered, "By the way, thanks again for asking Diana for help for my parents. They seem pretty happy with..." Hermione glanced down again at the letter she was holding. "Mala — yes, that's her name."

Rose nodded, glad for the distraction. "She's a good friend of Diana's — helped me, too."

That the _Daily Prophet's_ account would be accepted as the truth was made clear even before breakfast ended, judging by how most of the rest of the school was looking at Rose and Diana. Even Rose's friends were getting more hostile treatment, and there wasn't anything they could do about it. Professors stepped in when they saw anything overt, but most students were smart enough to keep their words and actions out of the view of the staff.

The only thing that improved at the school was that Professor Snape was inexplicably less hostile — not by a tremendous amount, but enough to notice and wonder about. By Friday afternoon, however, that wasn't enough to make Rose feel better. That was why she made her way to Diana's quarters shortly before curfew. The Amazon was still recovering from both the curse and the fight, so she was spending less time patrolling the castle at night. As much as Rose hated seeing her injured, she wasn't above taking advantage of the opportunity to spend more time with her.

Rose didn't even bother saying anything when she entered. She simply shoved the door closed, threw off her invisibility cloak, and lept into Diana's arms, wrapping her arms around Diana's neck and legs around Diana's waist.

"You're sure you're healthy enough?" Rose asked once she came up for air.

Diana nodded. "They won't miss you back in Gryffindor?"

Rose shook her head. "Hermione said she'd cover for me, but I don't think it will matter. The other witches won't care where I might be."

"Good," Diana said with a seductive smile and started walking back to her bedroom, carrying Rose in her arms. "Then let's—"

 **Pop!**

"Winky be wanting to bond now!"

"Mmmph!"

Diana dropped Rose and spun around, both women adopting defensive postures as they took in the sight before them. It was Winky, looking annoyed but sober, holding a very put-upon Dobby by the collar. The collar of an elf-sized straightjacket.

Dobby probably would have been complaining about the treatment if he hadn't been wearing a gag.

"Winky?" Diana asked.

"Strange Miss said to come to your rooms when you was both alone, after the new month begins. You two are here and new month has started. Dobby is being healthy and Winky is being sober!"

"Mmmph!"

 **Whack!**

The poor elf flinched when Winky hit him on the head with a wooden spoon. "Though Dobby is not yet being a proper elf. Winky still has teaching to do. But Dobby will learn, yes he will."

"Dobby?" Rose asked incredulously. The little elf looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"Winky wants to be bonded now!" she said, stamping her foot.

Rose slowly turned to her wife. "Diana? Is there something you forgot to tell me?"

"Oops?"

* * *

It took them over an hour for Diana to explain things to Rose, for Diana and Rose to explain things to the elves, and for everyone to decide that they were satisfied with the situation. Winky promised not to "teach" Dobby unless he asked for it, Dobby promised not to "help" Rose and Diana unless they asked for it, and Diana promised to keep Rose apprised of such things in the future.

When all was said and done, the original moment was lost and the two women slumped together on the couch, mentally exhausted from dealing with two hyper elves.

"I'm sorry that I've been so busy recently..." Diana started, but Rose cut her off.

"I know, it's fine. You have a lot to do."

"No, it's not fine," Diana insisted. "It's true that I have a lot to do, and it's true that I was overwhelmed, especially early on, but I still should have taken more time to spend with you. Especially when you kept trying so hard. I'm sorry that I didn't respond the way you wanted me to."

"It wasn't easy," Rose admitted, not meeting Diana's eyes.

"No, it wasn't. It hurt me too, but I'm used to pushing past pain to get a job done, and I was doing that here. I fell back into old habits, forgetting that I wasn't in a normal situation. I may be older than you, but I'm as inexperienced with marriage as you are."

"It hurt you, too, being separated?"

Diana held up a hand to show her wedding ring. "Every day."

Rose's eyes widened. "The ring? I mean, you were feeling my emotions? They don't just transmit pain?"

"In part," Diana admitted. "I didn't understand it at first, why I kept feeling angry, depressed, and other things. The truth finally dawned on me the other evening when you confronted me about my immortality. I started feeling so angry, even though there was no reason for it. You were the angry one. Finally, I realized that I was getting your anger, and my own frustration with the situation was making it worse."

"Sorry," Rose mumbled.

"It's not your fault," Diana reassured her. "Besides, now that I understand what's been going on, it's much easier to distinguish between my feelings and yours. There's only a problem when I don't realize I'm sensing your emotions — when that happens, it's too easy to let them run free."

"I don't think I've ever noticed your emotions."

Diana shrugged. "I suppose I have more control than you. We'll figure out how to deal with it — we simply need some time."

"I missed you," Rose said. "I think it was worse because you were around, but at the same time you weren't."

"Our honeymoon spoiled us more than I think we realized."

Rose nodded but didn't respond, so Diana gently place a hand on her cheek and pulled her face around so she could look into her wife's eyes. "I love you, Rose. I can't tell you when exactly that started, but when I was cursed I finally realized it."

"Really?" Rose asked in a whisper.

Diana leaned forward to give her a long, lingering kiss. "Really."

Rose pulled her into a tight embrace, and the Amazon felt a tingling that started in her ring finger and spread across her body.

"I love you too," Rose said with her face pressed into Diana's neck.

Diana smiled sadly. "No, you don't." She paused as if considering something, then added, "Or at least, you're not sure if you do yet." Rose pulled back and tried to protest, but Diana shook her head. "I can tell when someone isn't telling the truth, remember?"

Rose sagged a little. "I'm sorry. I care about you more than I've ever cared about anyone except maybe Hermione, and I want to be with you so much, but I just... I mean, is this how married people are _supposed_ to feel?"

"It's alright," Diana said soothingly, pulling Rose close again. "Don't worry about what you're 'supposed' to feel. Your feelings are what they are, and you have every right to feel them without shame or guilt. Nor should you try to force them — they should be allowed to grow naturally. For that, though, we do need to spend more time together." Her lips curved upward a bit as she added, "And I, for one, am looking forward to it."

Rose nodded against Diana's neck, and no more words were spoken that night.

* * *

Diana was patrolling in mid-December when she once again felt a presence on the seventh floor. Closing her eyes, she was able to determine that it was back along the path where she'd previously found Draco Malfoy, and she tracked him down even more quickly than she had the first time.

"How dare you lay hands on me, you filthy muggle!" Draco demanded, rubbing his wrist where she had gripped it to disarm him. "Don't you know who I am?"

"You're a child," Diana answered. "A child who is trying to play an adult game, though I don't know if you realize quite yet that you'll have to pay adult penalties if you fail."

"I'm not a child," he said imperiously, though the effect was undermined by the fact that he had to look up to her. "I have responsibilities and duties."

"Responsibilities given to you by a murdering madman?" Diana asked, and Draco paled. "Duties that include betraying people you know? That include putting fellow students in danger?"

"How—?" he started to ask, but he quickly caught himself and shut up.

"The truth is written on your face, child," she answered. "You're not as clever or as capable as you seem to think. Come, it's time we saw the Headmaster — and I _am_ taking you before the Headmaster this time, not your head of house."

Draco remained sullenly silent the entire way to the Headmaster's office, and he refused to greet Professor Dumbledore when they finally arrived. Diana looked at the Headmaster and raised her eyebrows questioningly; after a moment, he nodded towards the side and she moved to stand next to a bookcase where she could observe.

"Mr. Malfoy, I know we already discussed this, but I must reiterate that you don't have to continue pursuing whatever task it is you think you need to do. You are not alone. There are many people here who are willing to help you, myself included. Anyone at Hogwarts will find aid, if they but ask."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco responded stiffly. Diana detected a slight quavering in his voice, and she was sure Dumbledore had noted it as well.

"You aren't the type to simply wander the corridors at night, long after curfew."

"I was stretching my legs," Draco insisted. "The Slytherin common room is a bit too cramped for my liking."

"Even the largest room may seem confining to one with a guilty conscience."

"What?" Draco exclaimed, his mask slipping. "I'm... I don't have a guilty conscience. I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Except be out after curfew."

"...Right, except for that. I'll take my detentions."

Dumbledore sighed. "Very well, I'll notify Professor Snape about your punishment. You may return to your dormitory. And Mr. Malfoy, do go straight there — I'll know if you don't."

Draco gave the Headmaster a curt nod, then sneered at Diana before leaving with his head held high.

Once the two of them were alone, Diana stepped up to Dumbledore's desk. "Headmaster, I can always use my lasso to get the truth out of him."

"As remarkable as that device of yours is, I would prefer that he tell me the truth voluntarily. He must choose the right path out of his own free will, not because he is compelled. Otherwise, I am certain that he will simply revert to old patterns of behavior as soon as he leaves this office, and that will benefit no one."

"My lasso is far more than a form of truth serum," Diana said. "It compels a person to face the truth in its entirety, including the truth about themselves which they might want to avoid. Once a person does this, it becomes difficult for them to revert. It is the first, necessary step towards true self-control and achieving one's full potential."

"Truly? That explains much," Dumbledore said, gazing into the distance. "Yes, that explains much indeed." He paused for a moment before returning his attention to Diana. "That seems like it would be a terrible burden to impose on someone so young. I should think that a more mature mind would find it easier to handle having all of one's self-delusions stripped away."

"It's not an easy situation for anyone, but would you rather him wait until he is older and even less able to change? Would you rather wait until he hurts others?"

"So, you believe that he deserves a chance to repent and reform?"

"I believe that everyone deserves a second chance," Diana responded, "especially one so young that they've barely had a first chance. However, the innocent must be protected as well. Draco Malfoy's chance to repent cannot come at the expense of others who have committed no crimes."

Dumbledore nodded. "You may be right. Perhaps, if this happens again, you might find it necessary to restrain him. I cannot approve of any sort of forced interrogation, but if you should happen to... _encourage_ him to take a hard look at what he's doing, I don't think I could find fault with that."

* * *

Professor Snape's improved mood didn't preclude him from handing out detentions — though never to Slytherin students, naturally. Rose received one during the last week of classes for allegedly casting a tripping jinx at Malfoy during class. She and the other Gryffindor students protested that she hadn't done anything, but Snape refused to listen and assigned her to clean all the desks that night.

It was late when she finished, and she made the long trek back to Gryffindor under a disillusionment charm. Rather than rely solely on a cloak that could be taken from her (even if Snape was unlikely to do it again), she'd decided to learn how to disillusion herself and now practiced whenever she could. She'd gotten pretty good at it, too, especially if she didn't move too quickly.

Unfortunately, disillusionment charms were more vulnerable to magic than her cloak was.

She was in the middle of a long corridor when she felt a tingling ripple across her skin. A cry of "She's somewhere over there!" immediately followed, and Rose instinctively dropped to the ground, barely escaping several spells that passed by overhead. The abrupt movement was enough to expose her position.

"There! I see a blur!"

Rose rolled to the side and came up in a crouch. With her back against the wall, she could see in both directions down the corridor, but her attackers were nowhere in evidence.

Several more spells came flying out of the darkness, and she rolled to the far wall to evade them.

"Stand still, you blood-traitor bint!"

She didn't recognize the voice, but it was close enough that she should have been able to see the person. _Disillusioned too, then_ , she concluded as she cast _"Homenum Revelio!"_ Five red glows appeared ahead of her, in the direction of Gryffindor tower, and three behind, back in the direction of the Defense classroom.

Once again she was forced to roll and dodge to avoid spellfire, but this time some of the attackers were smart enough to cast where they thought she might move. It wasn't a hard guess to make, given how little room there was, and Rose hastily cast _"Protego!"_ to block some nasty-looking curses.

"What's the matter with you? Can't you hit one stupid witch?"

The voice had been magically altered, but not very well. Rose thought it sounded an awful lot like an especially annoying ferret.

Her mind raced. _I'm outnumbered, with no escape route, no cover, and I can't simply power my way out_. _I could call Dobby, but he might get hit before he could do much. Besides, I need to learn to do this on my own. How will I face Death Eaters, let alone Voldemort, if I can't handle a few students? What was Diana's advice in situations like this? Right! Use magic to weaponize my environment!_

Since she was in the Defense corridor, there was quite a number of suits of armor standing around, waiting to be used. _"Depulso!"_ she cast at one in front of her, then repeated it twice more behind her. With the fewest number of attackers, behind her lay her best chance of escape.

The noise should have been deafening when the pieces of armor went flying, bouncing off the walls and floor. Instead there was a series of muffled thumps, which meant that silencing spells had been used on the corridor walls. They had planned to ambush her here.

The attackers themselves hadn't been silenced, though, and Rose heard several shouts of surprise and pain. _So far, so good,_ she thought with grim satisfaction and cast, _"Serpensortia! Serpensortia! Serpensortia! Serpensortia!"_ Numerous multicolored bush vipers were soon gathered around her feet, complaining about the cold and demanding to know why they'd been dragged from their warm, comfortable homes.

"Hunt! Bite anyone moving!" she commanded in parseltongue, and they all immediately slithered out in two groups. _"Homenum Revelio!"_ she cast again, bringing back the red glows. This time most were motionless on the floor, either unconscious or stunned from being hit by the armor. There were muffled cries from those few that were still mobile as the snakes soon found them and carried out their orders.

Once the snakes had returned, their missions complete, Rose banished them all back to where they had come from. Then she stood there, listening intently, and waited to see if anything else would happen. Her heart was thudding in her chest and her nerves were still jangled from the adrenaline, but she seemed to be unscathed. _That... actually worked pretty well, using Diana's teachings with magic,_ she thought with more than a little surprise. _Much better than at the Ministry. Now to finish the job..._

She cast _"Finite!"_ several times at the glowing forms, rendering her attackers visible. Quickly she stunned anyone still conscious before moving among them and snapping their wands. When she reached the last figure, she was not surprised to see Draco Malfoy. She had a strong suspicion that he'd played a role in planning the attack, and perhaps had been the driving force behind it.

He'd seemed to be unconscious when she started disarming this group, but now he began to stir and groaned softly. Just as well — she wanted a word with him.

"I know you were behind this, ferret," she growled as she knelt down. When he didn't react, she grabbed him by his hair and wrenched his head back, forcing him to look up at her. "You're lucky that I happened to summon snakes that don't typically kill with their venom. It hurts like your flesh is on fire, but it won't kill you. Probably." Malfoy's eyes widened in horror as she held up his wand in front of him and snapped it. "When you wake up, though, I suggest getting to Madam Pomfrey as quickly as possible. Good luck explaining what happened." With a whispered _"Stupefy!"_ her last attacker was unconscious.

Rose heaved a sigh of relief as she looked at the mess surrounding her. "Maybe I should be surprised that no one came to investigate, but I'm not," she said softly to herself. "The question is, do I leave them here for someone to find, or do I help them?" She was sorely tempted to let them take their chances, but in the end there was only one choice. She blew out a breath in irritation. "Dobby!"

"Missy Ro—" Dobby's head swiveled around as he took in the scene. "Missy Rosie!" he cried.

"It's OK, Dobby, I took care of them," she said, kneeling down and putting a hand on the elf's shoulder. "See? I'm not hurt, but they are."

Dobby eyed her suspiciously. "Missy Rosie is _sure_ she is fine?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Dobby. This is what I've been learning to do, remember."

"But what does Missy Rosie need Dobby for?"

Rose sighed. "I don't want to just leave them here. The snake bites might be pretty serious."

A grin stretched across Dobby's face. "Missy Rosie used snakies to stop nasty little snakies?"

"It seemed appropriate," Rose replied, smiling back. "But I'll get in trouble if I allow them to be hurt too badly, so I was hoping you might take them to the hospital wing."

Dobby frowned at that. "Is Missy Rosie sure?"

"I'm afraid so," she said. "But don't feel you have to make the journey pleasant. Just get them there in time to prevent any _permanent_ injuries. Oh, and don't let yourself be seen."

This time Dobby's grin was positively feral. "Dobby understands. Dobby will take care of little snakies."

"Thanks," Rose said, standing up. She refused to look back as she resumed her trek to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

"Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Black, thank you for coming," Professor Dumbledore said, rising from his desk as the other two entered his office. "I know you have much you need to get done before heading home tomorrow, but I appreciate your taking time out to review another memory with me." Without further delay, Rose and Diana accompanied him to his pensieve and followed him into his memory of introducing an eleven-year-old Tom Riddle to the existence of magic.

"The boy was trouble right from the start," Diana observed after they returned to the Headmaster's office. "All the signs were there — secretiveness, cruelty, lying. I don't know how much it would have helped, but he desperately needed psychological counseling and intensive intervention."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore conceded, "but the wizarding world does not recognize even the existence of such activities, much less make use of them. They are far too 'muggle,' I'm afraid." Diana and Rose scowled, but Dumbledore held up a hand and continued, "You must understand that for most wizards and witches, magical mind healing is quite adequate because their maladies are magical in origin. Since it's rare for them to suffer from muggle maladies, muggle treatments simply aren't given any consideration."

"So, Tom Riddle was an exceptional case," Diana concluded.

"In more ways than one. I will concede that perhaps muggle therapy would have helped him, but no one would have given it a second thought. I didn't, and at the time I was at least vaguely aware of its existence, unlike most witches and wizards."

"Maybe it wouldn't have mattered," Diana admitted with a sigh. "Therapy and counseling weren't nearly so common or advanced back then. All I can say is that whoever is in charge of monitoring wizards and witches raised in the muggle world should look into counseling for those who suffer from trauma, abuse, and bullying."

"I have made similar recommendations in the past, though nothing quite so specific," Dumbledore replied. "I will add your thoughts to the list." He scribbled something on a piece of parchment. "It seems to grow every year. Now, what else did you notice about young Tom Riddle?"

"Like I said, he was cruel. I assume that hasn't changed."

Dumbledore shook his head. "If anything, it has gotten worse."

"He stole things," Rose added, "but they didn't look like valuable things that he would sell for money."

"Trophies," Diana surmised. "It's something that many serial killers and psychopathic criminals collect."

Dumbledore nodded. "And like his cruelty, it's a behavior that I believe has continued throughout his life."

"He thought speaking parseltongue made him special," Rose observed, and the old wizard looked at her approvingly.

"Tom Riddle always wanted to be special, different. Being a parselmouth made him that, even among witches and wizards, which was especially important given his uncertain heritage and being sorted into Slytherin." Dumbledore focused on Rose. "You, in contrast... I've noticed that you try to avoid attention and always downplay anything that makes you different."

"I want to be normal," Rose said a little defensively, and Diana reached out to put a hand on her arm.

"There's nothing wrong with being normal," Dumbledore said with a kind smile, "though I daresay that you will never be able to retreat entirely into the background. I doubt that the wizarding public would allow it — and I'm speaking from personal experience." Rose scowled as Dumbledore gazed off into the distance for a moment. "Knowing that Tom Riddle and later Voldemort always want to be extraordinary, to stand out from the crowd, is critical to understanding his character. It will help you anticipate his actions. Now, since that covers the most salient points of the memory, I suggest we end here and continue—"

"Forgive me, Headmaster, but is that all?" Diana asked.

"Why, yes, for this session at least..."

"Would it not be possible to move a bit faster, though?"

Dumbledore looked at her searchingly for a long moment before turning to Rose. "And what do you think, Mrs. Potter? Do you also feel that we are moving too slowly?"

Rose frowned and briefly looked at Diana before responding, "I... yes, I guess so. I mean, these last two meetings could easily have been done together."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Very well. I have not wanted to rush this, given how important the information is, but I do not wish to create unnecessary delays, either. I will try to have more prepared for a longer discussion soon after the holidays, if that meets with your approval?"

"That would be great," Rose answered as she and Diana stood.

"Excellent. I wish you both a Happy Christmas. Oh, one more thing, Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore said almost as an afterthought as they reached the door. "Several Slytherin students were dropped off at the hospital wing the other night with a variety of injuries — bruising, abrasions, broken bones, that sort of thing. Most curious, though, was how many of them had snake bites. Would you happen to know anything about it?"

Rose looked back at the Headmaster and shrugged. "I couldn't say, Professor. It sounds like they started something and got in over their heads."

"That was my suspicion as well," he mused. "Some of the injuries were serious, however, so I hope there won't be any repeats in the future."

"I guess that depends on whether or not they learned their lesson, Headmaster," Rose replied before exiting the office. There was a small, satisfied smile playing about Diana's lips as she nodded at him and followed.

Dumbledore sighed deeply once he was alone. "I worry that may be expecting too much."

* * *

 **December 23, 1996, Morning. Grimmauld Place.**

"Remus!" Rose cried as the door to Grimmauld Place opened, revealing her pseudo-uncle. "I didn't know you were here! When did you get back?"

"I arrived a couple of weeks ago with Mala," Remus said as he returned Rose's hug. "Sirius and I wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, it's so great to see you! And how did everything go? What happened?"

Remus grinned. "I'm completely cured! Well, close enough, I guess. I still get fidgety during a full moon, and it seems that I have more wolfish characteristics all the time now, but I don't transform at all."

"That's great!" Rose exclaimed, hugging him again.

"It's definitely a worthwhile trade-off," Remus agreed.

"Hey, kitten!" Sirius said as he came into the hallway and gave his goddaughter a hug. "Where's everyone else? And why are you two here so early?"

"The Headmaster decided that Rose and I should travel separately for security reasons," Diana answered. "The Weasleys will be along after the train arrives, but Hermione won't be here until after New Year's. She wants to spend the holidays with her parents."

Sirius nodded. "That's a good idea — she doesn't see them nearly enough."

"That's what I told her," Rose said as she dragged her trunk inside. "I'll miss her, but this time of the year is for families."

"Well, since you're here early, why don't we get Christmas shopping out of the way?" Remus suggested. "The only other time you'll have for it is tomorrow, and that's Christmas Eve day. It'll be a lot busier then."

"Good idea," Diana agreed. "We'll need time to do some shopping in both worlds."

"What are we waiting for, then?" Rose said expectantly. "I've already got my coat on!"

* * *

 **December 24, 1996, Afternoon. Grimmauld Place.**

"So, Remus, I keep meaning to ask," Rose said, trying to look innocent, "have you heard from Boris... er, I mean, Betty lately?"

"Betty?" Molly asked, perking up in obvious interest. "Is that someone you met in the America? A girlfriend, perhaps?"

Tonks immediately buried her head in her arms and began shaking with laughter. Remus looked away, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"Clearly we're missing something," Arthur noted.

"Who's Betty?" Ron asked, frowning. No one had told the Weasleys about Remus' little adventure in Vegas, and his face turned scarlet.

"If Remus won't tell you, I will," Sirius said helpfully. His friend shot him a dirty look.

"Fine," Remus said, disgruntled. "No, I haven't heard from, uh, _her_ , but I have heard some news."

"Oh?" Rose prompted when Remus hesitated too long.

"Yes," he said with a sigh. "She's got her own cable TV show now. _Las Vegas Lights_ or something like that. News and entertainment in the city."

"Her own show?" Diana asked incredulously. Remus cast a silencing charm on Tonks so he didn't have to listen to her muffled cackling.

"Yes, apparently her appearance and interview on that _COPS_ show made it the most popular episode ever. She somehow managed to parlay that little bit of notoriety into a new career." Remus shook his head. "I don't understand Americans."

"So, she's famous?" Molly asked. "Well, I don't see why that would be a problem. Unless she gets a big head and imagines she's too good for you." She patted the ex-werewolf on the hand. "If that's the case, you just forget about her. I'm sure you'll find someone else who appreciates you for who you are."

Rose leaned into Diana, who kept one hand over her mouth. Ron and Ginny kept looking around the table in confusion.

"Well, you were much more central to that episode," Diana noted with a smile. "I'm sure you could have gotten a much better contract than she did. You could call your show _Lupin's Vegas!"_

"How about _Driving Miss Betty?"_ Rose offered.

"That sounds interesting," Arthur said. "I've never seen a tee-vee show. What's it like, and why were you on it? Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Too bad you were practically kicked out of the country!" Sirius said, struggling to hold back his own laughter.

"Remus Lupin, whatever did you do?" Molly demanded.

"Hey, I was only kicked out of that one city!" Remus protested, then promptly shut up when he realized that he wasn't exactly helping his case.

"You know, I've got a newspaper around here..." Sirius started to say, attracting Remus' undivided attention.

Before he could do anything, though, Tonks' head shot up and she grabbed her auror badge. All traces of humor gone, she cancelled the silencing charm and pushed herself back from the table. "We're getting an all-hands call. It must be big, so I'll probably be gone for a while."

"Do you want help?" Remus asked worriedly.

"No, not unless Dumbledore summons the Order," Tonks called as she ran for the floo.

* * *

They didn't find out what was going on until late that evening when Shacklebolt came to Headquarters, bloodied and bruised, to tell everyone that Death Eaters had attacked Diagon Alley in the middle of Christmas shopping. Dumbledore hadn't asked the Order to help because almost everyone who could help had already been at the Alley, and he wanted the rest to stay and keep an eye on the students.

"How many people were hurt? How much damage was done?" Remus asked.

Shacklebolt took a long sip of tea before answering. "It could have been worse, I suppose. Several shops are a complete loss, mostly those owned by muggleborn. The twins' shop is fine, though. Apparently they've put up some substantial protections, so there was only superficial damage to the outside."

"Oh, my poor boys!" Molly said as she fussed over everyone. "I wish they'd give up that foolishness and come home!"

"Not that poor," Shacklebolt responded. "I heard several shop owners remark at how well the WWW fared, and I think they intend to hire Fred and George to cast similar protections elsewhere in the alley."

"What about injuries?" Arthur asked.

"At least a dozen were dead at the scene, and a similar number probably died later at St. Mungo's," Shacklebolt answered. "A lot more were injured, obviously. No one in the Order was seriously hurt, though several aurors were hit pretty badly."

"Voldemort has created a lot of fear with this attack," Diana observed. "As bad as things were before, this will make it worse. So many families won't be able to celebrate Christmas tomorrow. So many people will be afraid to leave their homes."

"And who wants to bet that the _Daily Prophet_ will find a way to blame me because I haven't rushed off to confront Voldemort yet?" Rose said bitterly.

* * *

No one felt tired after the news of the attack on Diagon Alley, and it was late when people finally started retiring for bed. Rose had announced that she needed a long, hot bath to help her forget about the day's events, so Diana was alone, brushing her hair, when there was an urgent knock at their door.

"Yes?" she asked, pulling her robe closed as she opened the door. She was shocked to find Professor McGonagall there with Hermione. The girl's eyes were hollow in her tear-stained face, and she stood there numbly as her teacher spoke.

"Mrs. Black... Diana... there was an attack a little while ago. Several attacks, in fact, on the homes of muggleborn students. One of the homes targeted was the Grangers'."

Diana's breath caught. "Oh, Hermione," she said softly as she pulled the young witch into an embrace.

"Her parents... did not survive," McGonagall went on, her voice barely above a whisper, and Diana felt Hermione flinch against her. "But the young woman you sent to watch over them took out quite a few before she was overwhelmed. Fortunately two aurors were dispatched to investigate the presence of so much underaged magic and were able to drive off the remaining Death Eaters before both she and Miss Granger could be killed as well."

"What happened to Mala?" Diana asked, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

"One of the aurors sent was a member of the Order and arranged for the two of them to be taken to Hogwarts instead of St. Mungo's. Mala is unconscious and still being treated for various curses and injuries, but Miss Granger insisted on coming here. Her injuries were minor, mainly due to the efforts of your friend."

At this Hermione disengaged from Diana and went over to the bed. Without a word she crawled onto it and sat hugging her knees to her chest, rocking slightly. Diana watched her for a moment with worried eyes, then turned back to McGonagall. "We'll take care of her, I promise. Will it be possible to visit Mala sometime soon?"

"I'll check with Poppy, but I'm sure you'll be able to go visit tomorrow or the next day."

"Thank you," Diana said gratefully, and McGonagall inclined her head. As she gently closed the door, Diana could see the woman's sad gaze still lingering on her student until the last possible moment.

Quietly, she went over to the bed and sat down on the edge beside Hermione. At first the young witch scarcely seemed to know she was there, but when Diana laid a hand on her shoulder, the dam broke and a wrenching sob was torn from her. Then she began to cry in earnest. She clutched at Diana, who held her tight and slowly stroked her hair, whispering over and over again that she wouldn't have to go through this alone.

Exhaustion eventually claimed her, and it was thus that Rose found them when she returned from her bath, Hermione's head resting in Diana's lap. Even in sleep, the night's horrors were etched in her face.

"What _happened?"_ Rose asked in shock.

Diana put one finger up to her lips. "Her home was attacked along with those of several other muggleborn," she answered softly. "Her parents didn't make it, and Mala is being treated in Hogwarts. I don't know what happened at the other homes, but I imagine it was even worse for the others attacked."

"Oh, no!" Rose cried, tears welling in her eyes as she sat next to them and reached out to gently touch her friend's shoulder.

"I told Professor McGonagall that we would take care of her."

"Of course! Will Mala be alright?"

"I expect so, but we won't be able to visit until tomorrow at the earliest." They were silent for a minute before Diana continued, "I suppose I should get ready for bed, but I don't want to wake her."

"I guess this is where my being emancipated comes in handy," Rose said as she got to her feet. With a wave of her wand, she first switched Diana's robe for a nightshirt she only rarely wore, then switched Hermione's clothing with one of Rose's own nightshirts. She then levitated the two into the air, pulled back the covers, and lowered them both to the bed, allowing Diana to stretch out while still keeping the sleeping witch gathered to her.

"You _are_ handy," Diana commented as Rose crawled under the covers on Hermione's other side.

They lay there silently while Diana held her and Rose gently stroked her hair. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Rose eventually asked.

"In time, I'm sure, but it will be difficult for her. She obviously loved her parents a great deal."

"I guess we're both orphans now."

"Yes, so she'll need your help most of all — and not merely because of how close you two are. You more than anyone will be able to understand what she's going through, despite the fact that you lost your own parents so long ago."

"She'll need _our_ help," Rose corrected. She settled in closer to her friend and whispered, "Don't worry, Hermione, we'll take care of you. And we'll get whoever did this to you."

"Don't focus on getting revenge," Diana cautioned, moving her arm so it encircled both young witches. "Revenge is a path that can damage you even more than the original injury, and it's rarely as satisfying as one expects it to be."

"It's not revenge I'm talking about, it's justice," Rose insisted. "Justice not only for Hermione, but for everyone who's lost parents and other family at the hands of Voldemort and his followers."

Diana nodded. "Just so long as you're acting out of love rather than hate, then you shouldn't be led astray."

"Always," Rose murmured in reply.

Sometime during the night, the red ribbon tattoos representing love and strength of heart glowed and turned golden on both their wrists.

* * *

No one felt like celebrating Christmas the next day. Presents were exchanged and dinner was served, but the mood was as somber as anyone had ever experienced. Hermione seemed to have cried herself out the night before, but she spent the day latched to the side of either Rose or Diana, both of whom stayed as close to her as they could. They didn't waste time with platitudes, but they made sure she knew that she could rely on them to be there, whether to talk or to provide a shoulder to lean on.

Professor McGonagall showed up Christmas evening, inviting them to make a short trip to Hogwarts if they wanted, and all three instantly agreed.

* * *

"Hermione!" Mala cried as soon as they entered the hospital wing, and Hermione's heart quailed at the happiness in her voice. "They said you were fine, but I wanted to see for myself!" Mala struggled to prop herself up on the bed pillows.

"Careful!" Madam Pomfrey admonished her. "It's bad enough that you won't let me sedate you, but I insist that you not do anything to make your condition worse!" Mala simply rolled her eyes and reached out to squeeze the hands of each of her visitors in turn.

"I wasn't injured too badly," Hermione said quietly as she sat.

"Good! And how are you two doing?" Mala asked Rose and Diana.

Hermione was content to let them make small talk for several minutes but didn't join in much herself. Eventually the scowls they kept getting from Madam Pomfrey became too much to ignore, so the other two rose to leave and let Mala rest. They looked at Hermione expectantly.

"Could you give us a few minutes alone?" she asked instead. Rose and Diana seemed surprised, but quickly agreed and left to wait outside.

"Is something wrong?" Mala said, reaching out and taking her friend's hand.

Hermione swallowed hard. "No, I just... I wanted to thank you for what you did. And apologize for not having been able to help more. If you hadn't been there trying to save me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt so badly..."

"No, no, you don't need to apologize," Mala insisted, giving Hermione's hand a small shake. "I wanted this assignment. I was eager for a chance to help a friend of Rose, especially one who had been with her on so many of her adventures, and I don't regret my decision. I should apologize to _you_ for not saving your parents. Unfortunately, fighting in such tight quarters while protecting three people limited my options. And you haven't trained to fight with Amazons, so you couldn't easily back me up without putting me in more danger."

Hermione nodded. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. If you hadn't had to spend so much time protecting us, or if I'd had more experience, you could have won. You wouldn't have gotten hurt. And my parents..." Hermione paused to take a deep breath, knowing almost exactly what Rose had been feeling for the past few months. "I need to be able to do better. I need to be able to fight. Like you and Diana. Will you help me? I know that Rose and Diana will help, but they need to concentrate on each other. I think I'd learn more if I had your help as well."

Hermione felt Mala's eyes boring into her for what seemed like forever before the older woman finally said, "Yes, I will help. It will be part of my penance for having failed in my original mission. However, you need to understand that being an Amazon isn't simply a matter of being a warrior."

"I'm not trying to become an Amazon," Hermione objected. "I don't see how I could."

"That's not my point. Learning how to fight like we do isn't simply a matter of learning a few moves or stances. It's learning a culture, a way of viewing the world. Amazons learn to fight so they can defend themselves when attacked. We will never forget how we were once enslaved, nor the brutal treatment we were forced to endure. However, we also believe in love and peace more than anything else. War, even when absolutely necessary, is still considered a failure.

"Being an Amazon means being part of a sisterhood that is founded on the ideals of love. If you want to be more like an Amazon, you will not achieve success so long as your heart is filled with hate and anger. You cannot listen to your ego's demands for control, domination, or power. We Amazons do not achieve our full potential by exercising superiority over others. We do not pursue conquest. Instead, we accept the truth: that our love for others gives them power over us even as their love for us gives us power over them, and that this is something to celebrate."

"I... I don't know if I can," Hermione stammered. "Every time I close my eyes, I see my parents. I see how they were cursed. I... I..."

"I understand," Mala said softly, "but you will be consumed by hate if you do not make room for love that can replace it."

"How?"

"Do you not know anyone who shows you love, unconditionally and without placing any demands on you? Who always has room in their heart for you, no matter what is happening in their own lives? Who doesn't try to control you, but rather accepts you as you are?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't know."

"That is what you must find. And when you find it, you must grab hold and cherish it," Mala said. "I will help if I can, because it is only through experiencing love that you will be able to achieve your true potential, and that in turn will require accepting the truth about yourself. You cannot live a full life so long as you are in denial about who and what you are."

* * *

Rose was in bed late Christmas night, still awake thinking about how she could help Hermione, when there was a soft knocking on the bedroom door.

"Hermione?" she asked sleepily when she opened the door. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I... can I stay with you again?"

"Nightmares?" Rose asked, and Hermione nodded. Rose simply pulled Hermione into a hug before closing the door and leading her to the bed. "Go on," she said, pushing Hermione in first.

"Thanks," Hermione whispered, not wanting to wake Diana. "I hate intruding like this, but I... eep!" Hermione squeaked in surprise when Diana's arm snaked around and pulled her close, snuggling into her.

"Sorry, I should have warned you: she's a hugger," Rose said with a grin. "Even when fast asleep, she instinctively reaches out and hugs anyone or anything that gets too close. That's basically how I woke up the morning after our wedding. Except for the whole, y'know, being naked part."

Hermione blushed as she looked down at the large arm that was holding her. "I've always wanted to ask, but... how does she not squish you flat?"

"I used to wonder about that, too, but after visiting her home I think I figured it out. Amazons are warriors, but they emphasize peace and love more than anything else. Amazons strive to fill their hearts with love, not hate or violence. Diana can certainly make mistakes or bad decisions, but I don't think she can directly or physically harm those she loves."

"Really?"

Rose nodded, then scooted closer so she could embrace Hermione as well and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Rose."

* * *

In Wiltshire, a far less pleasant conversation was being conducted in Malfoy Manor.

"My dear Draco, you have no idea how disappointed I am in your many failures," Voldemort said as the young wizard was led into the grand dining room and seated along the side of the table. "Your progress on getting my servants into the castle has been slow, you keep getting caught by that American, your attempted attack on Potter failed spectacularly, and you didn't even acquit yourself well in the attack on the family of that mudblood, Granger." He smiled as Draco visibly gulped. "However, since this is such a festive time of year, I've decided to give you a Christmas gift anyway. I hope you receive it in the spirit that it was intended when I chose it for you."

Voldemort gave a negligent wave of his wand and the side doors opened, revealing Narcissa Malfoy carrying a large, covered, silver serving tray. She walked unsteadily into the dining room and placed the tray before Draco, who stared at it in trepidation.

"Well, Cissa, don't keep your son in suspense," Voldemort said. With a shaking hand Narcissa removed the cover. There, on the tray, was Lucius Malfoy's severed head, staring back at his son with sightless, pain-filled eyes. It was only with great effort that Draco avoided throwing up then and there, and he barely heard anything else that Voldemort said to him.

"Happy Christmas, Draco. You will now be head of the Malfoy family when you turn seventeen. Isn't that grand? Of course, your mother will be in charge of the finances and household until then, but you will inherit much sooner than you would have otherwise." He was silent for a moment as Draco continued to stare, his face a frozen mask. "What do you say, Draco, when someone gives you a gift?"

"Th-thank you, my Lord," he choked out.

"Excellent! You must of course remain silent about your change in fortune until you come into your inheritance. After all, you wouldn't want to start rumors that your father did something that displeased me, would you? It might tarnish your family's good name."

Draco couldn't do anything more than nod jerkily at that point.

"Good. I'm sure you have plenty of things to do, so don't let me keep you. In the morning you will start remedial training with several of my inner circle, so I recommend going to bed early." He held out a restraining hand. "Not you, Cissa — we still have things to... discuss."

Draco barely kept to his feet as he stumbled into the hallway, holding his hands over his ears so he couldn't hear whatever was happening back in the dining room.


	16. A Piece of the Action

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Magic Through the Gate_ , by Kallanit. Upon graduating from Hogwarts, Hermione finds that little has changed for muggleborns like her. Unable to get a decent job in magical Britain, she looks further afield and ends up working for a secret government project in Colorado. Harry soon follows, also unable to find a place for himself. An interesting story that was cut sadly short because the author received so many nasty anonymous reviews. HP/Stargate crossover; Harry/Hermione.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - A Piece of the Action**

 **January, 1997. Hogwarts.**

"I'm sorry that you had to give up some of your holidays for this," Dumbledore said as he walked with Diana back to his office. "I had hoped that you'd be able to enjoy more time with Rose, but I felt it was important that you see the work being done on the outer wall before the elves got too far along."

"The staff doesn't get to take off the entire holiday, so why should I?" Diana pointed out, and Dumbledore chuckled. "Besides, this gives Rose and Hermione time together. Hermione needs the support of her best friend right now."

"Indeed she does," the Headmaster said, all traces of good humor falling away. "I was so very sad to hear what happened to her parents."

"Will there be any issues of custody or guardianship?"

"I don't believe so. She is already of age in our world, and I think we can handle the documents for the muggle world."

"Good, but if there are any problems, let me know. I have an established identity in the non-magical world, and I can volunteer to serve as temporary guardian if necessary."

"That's generous of you."

"Rose and I both promised that we'd take care of her. Whatever she needs."

"I'm glad to hear that their friendship is still strong," Dumbledore said, a note of satisfaction in his voice as they ascended the stairs to his office.

"Would you like to come over for tea?" Diana offered once they reached his fireplace. "I'm sure everyone would like to see you."

The old wizard raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Thank you, I'd like that. I find that I get so few opportunities to sit and socialize with others these days, especially students."

Once through the floo, they found Rose and Hermione huddled close together on the couch in the sitting room, examining a small golden object.

"What have you got there?" Diana asked as she leaned over to kiss Rose before sitting on the other side of Hermione.

"Something Mrs. Weasley tried to throw away last summer, but Kreacher must have rescued," Rose said absently, completely absorbed by the object.

"Ever since Kreacher died of shock after learning that Walburga's portrait was destroyed, Sirius has been hunting for caches of family heirlooms that he hid," Hermione explained. "This morning he found another, and Rose grabbed this locket from the pile."

"I want to see if I can open it," Rose added.

Hermione nodded. "Ginny and I didn't have any luck, but Rose thinks she can do it."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Diana asked. "It feels... wrong, somehow."

Rose shrugged. "It never hurt Kreacher."

"Mrs. Potter!" came a sharp voice that made all three jump. Looking up, they saw Professor Dumbledore standing in the entranceway, his wand pointed at them.

"Headmaster?" Diana asked in a low, hard voice.

"Mrs. Potter, set that locket on the floor."

"This?" Rose asked, holding up the object she'd been fiddling with. "Why?"

"Just do it, I beg of you."

Rose looked at him quizzically for a moment, then did as Dumbledore instructed. With a quick wave of his wand, he conjured a silk bag and levitated the locket into it. Only when it was completely sealed away did he heave a sigh and sit heavily in a chair.

"What was that all about?" Diana asked, still sounding a bit angry.

"I apologize for my abrupt manner, but I believe that this is a very dangerous, very dark magical artifact. One that I have been working hard to track down, in fact. I never would have expected to stumble across it here."

"Dangerous how?" Rose asked. "I've been handling it for the past hour, and it didn't do anything to me."

Dumbledore hesitated and seemed to be weighing something in his mind. Finally he stood and said, "This is a conversation that would best be held in my office, Mrs. Potter. There are some secrets which I cannot allow to spread too widely."

"This has to do with our meetings, doesn't it?" Diana asked as she got to her feet, and Dumbledore nodded.

Rose noticed how Hermione's face fell and grabbed her hand to pull her to her feet as well. "All three of us will come with you."

"Rose, it's OK, I can—"

"You can continue to do what you've been doing for the past five years, which is help me stay alive," Rose interrupted. "I'd have died more than once in our first year alone if it hadn't been for you. I'm not abandoning you now." Hermione's relief was palpable, and Rose turned to look defiantly at the Headmaster, daring him to say no.

Instead, he sighed and nodded. "Very well — let us all go, then."

* * *

"This was a most fortuitous discovery," Dumbledore began once they arrived in his office. "I'm not sure how the locket ended up in the Black family home, but that has made it much easier for us to retrieve than I expect Voldemort originally intended."

"What is it, though?" Diana asked. "It can't be a regular locket."

"Quite true," Dumbledore agreed as he waved his wand and cast several charms on it. "Yes," he said thoughtfully. "It is as I feared." He looked up at his three guests. "I'd rather not go into all the details, but this is something which Voldemort has used to help him stay alive. For him to die, this must be destroyed."

"And I've had it in my hands for the last... ugh!" Rose said with a shudder, wiping her hands furiously on her thighs..

"How do you wish to destroy it?" Diana asked. "I'm sure I could crush it."

"No need," Dumbledore replied as he walked to a far wall and opened a display case. "Mrs. Potter has already provided us with the means for destroying it."

"Isn't that the Sword of Gryffindor?" Rose asked.

"Correct. Those who create objects like this imbue them with all sorts of powerful enchantments to prevent their enemies from damaging or destroying them. When you killed the basilisk, this sword took in some of the venom, making it much more dangerous than the average sword."

"Because it's a goblin-made weapon, right?" Hermione asked. "It takes in anything that doesn't destroy it."

"Exactly, Miss Granger. If this were during term, I'd award points."

"So, just stab it?" Diana asked.

"Not quite. I suspect that it will be easier if we open it first."

"But we couldn't open it last summer," Hermione objected.

"I believe that's because Mrs. Potter wasn't given the opportunity to try. Do you see the snakes? I'm certain that this locket originally belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

"Parseltongue?" Rose guessed.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said as he conjured a small table and set the locket on it. "I'd like you to all stand back. Once Mrs. Potter opens it, I will stab it and, hopefully, destroy it."

"Would you prefer that I do it?" Diana offered.

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Thank you, but no. As formidable a warrior as you are, I am more familiar with Voldemort and the sorts of tricks he is likely to use against anyone attempting what we are about to do. I'd rather you stay close to Rose to protect her if anything happens."

Diana nodded and moved to stand next to Rose; Hermione took up a position on her friend's other side.

"Whenever you're ready," Dumbledore said as he raised the sword high.

 _"Open,"_ Rose commanded the locket in parseltongue.

Immediately it snapped open, revealing an ugly red eye that looked around balefully at all of them. An instant later it launched a mental attack, overwhelming all four with visions of their worst nightmares.

Dumbledore moved to strike, but he stopped short when confronted by a vision of his sister, Ariana. "Why did you kill me, Albie?" she asked. "I know you didn't want to be saddled with a damaged sister, but you didn't have to kill me, did you?"

"Ariana?" he whispered as the tip of the sword slowly dropped.

"Aberforth could have taken care of me, if I was such a terrible burden," she continued. "Then you could have run off with Gellert to do whatever you wanted. You would have been free to pursue the fame and accolades you always longed for."

While Dumbledore was seeing this in the mist above the locket, Rose was watching a shadowy version of Diana, looking strong, proud, and incredibly disappointed. "You're weak," she said down to Rose with a sneer. "A weak little child who will never measure up. Your parents prefered dying to living with you. Your relatives never wanted you. What made you think that you could find acceptance among Amazons, women who value strength and courage?"

Rose shrank back from the awful vision. "No, please — I... I love..."

"You love me? What could you possibly know about love? You're pathetic. I could never even respect a weakling such as you, much less love her. You'll never measure up. You'll never be good enough. You'll certainly never manage to kill Voldemort. Why even bother trying?"

"No!" Rose shouted.

Beside her, Diana was distracted by her own vision of herself. Instead of strong and proud, however, she was kneeling on the ground, covered in blood. Shadowy images of her mother and Rose stood behind her, also looking disappointed. "I had such high hopes for you, my daughter. I expected you to provide a shining example to Patriarch's World of the superiority of Amazon values. To teach them about love and justice. Instead, you're providing an example of the worst we have to offer."

"I never knew you were such a monster," Shadow-Rose added. "I thought you were strong, but you're little more than a raging beast who destroys everything she touches, including our marriage. Even with the lasso, you fail to see what you truly are. I don't understand why the Amazons ever let you loose on the world."

Diana watched helplessly as her mother and wife berated her for her violence, but suddenly a wave of misery that was not her own washed over her. With a start, she recognized Rose's anguish coming through the ring, and her wife's need gave her the strength to see the deception for what it was. "I am not a monster," she gritted through clenched teeth as she reached out and gripped Rose's hand tightly. "I do not hate! I love!" With her other hand she reached into her robe and grasped the golden lasso, which she'd taken to keeping nearby. "You cannot deceive me. _You_ are the monster! You have so filled your heart with lies and hate that you have nothing else left!"

At the touch, Rose tore her gaze away from the locket's assault and looked down at Diana's hand in hers. As her eyes traveled up to find her wife's face, she felt that dazed relief one gets on waking from a nightmare only to find that a loved one isn't dead after all. She could feel Diana's love through the ring, as well as her fierce determination. The nightmare still beckoned, but she knew now whom she believed.

Next to her, Hermione was also looking at a shadowy version of herself — old, bitter, and hunched over — alongside a young version of Rose. "Look at you, old and alone," Shadow-Rose said with a sneer. "You constantly push away those who offer you love, and that's what has always kept you alone. You pushed away other children at muggle school, and they gladly isolated you. Once you came to Hogwarts, you did more of the same; but then you added in your parents, growing ever more distant until they finally died, little more than strangers. You even pushed away your best friend when she declared her love for you."

"That's not true!" Hermione protested.

"Do you even know _how_ to love? I don't think so, and that's why you'll remain forever alone."

Hermione sobbed at the vision of an old, withered, and lonely version of herself, but before the Shadow-Rose could continue, hands reached out and pulled her into a joint embrace with Rose and Diana. "You are not alone," they told her. "You are loved, and you will never be alone."

Suddenly a sword flashed in the mist and a terrible scream issued from the locket. Light exploded outwards, followed by a shockwave that hurled everyone to the floor.

" _What_ was _that_?" Rose asked, stunned, as she held her head and looked around at the damage caused by the blast.

"That... was quite a bit more than I'd expected," Dumbledore answered with a shaky voice. "Gilly!" he called out, and a house elf popped into the office. "Please bring us some hot cocoa." The elf nodded and popped out for a minute before returning with a tray and four mugs of cocoa.

Once they were all seated and had recovered somewhat, Diana said grimly, "I think we need those details you glossed over earlier, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps you are right." He then proceeded to explain what he knew about Tom Riddle's activities during and after Hogwarts, paying particular attention to the disappearance of certain key objects when he was around.

"Why was it so important for him to take those things?" Rose asked. "Especially from Hepzibah Smith? I don't see how killing her was a victory worthy of a trophy."

"It wasn't, I'm sure," Dumbledore agreed, "and that's not why he stole those items. No, he wanted them for a much darker reason. And that leads us to the final and most important memory I have to show you." He led them to his pensieve, where they witnessed Tom Riddle schmoozing with other students and plying Horace Slughorn with flattery until he got information about the magic of something called horcruxes.

"I take it that those horcruxes are what you wanted us to focus on?" Diana asked once they were back in the office.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, they are the foul magic which Voldemort has used to keep himself alive. I knew even back in 1981 that he had likely taken steps to prevent his death, but I couldn't be sure what. There was nothing I could do about it except watch and wait. It wasn't until the late spring of 1993 that I finally had the first real, solid piece of evidence pointing to which method he'd used."

He looked at Rose expectantly, and after moment she got it. "The diary!"

"Indeed, that was probably his first horcrux. Although little research exists about them, I suspect he is one of few, and possibly the only one, to have created multiple."

"To split your soul even once is unthinkable!" Diana exclaimed, appalled. "How many times did he do it?"

"I have my suspicions, but I cannot be certain. The person who likely knows is the one whose memory that is, and as you noticed, there was something wrong with it."

"Professor Slughorn? Do you think he's hiding something?"

"Most assuredly, and I'm hoping for your help in retrieving an accurate memory from him."

"If you don't know exactly how many he made, do you know what he used?" Diana asked. "That might give us some leads."

"There I have a bit more information. In addition to the diary, I believe he created horcruxes out of a Gaunt family ring, a cup from Helga Hufflepuff, and a locket from Salazar Slytherin. That makes four, but I fear there could be others."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "I'm sure he would have picked a number that was magically significant, believing that it would make him more powerful," she said, thinking aloud. "Three would have been an obvious choice, but not if he definitely used so many objects. Seven horcruxes would be next... no, six plus the original, main bit of soul, making seven pieces total. After that is thirteen, but I wonder if his soul would be stable enough to withstand so much splitting."

"Unlikely," Dumbledore replied. "I have reason to believe that his soul was already perilously unstable back in 1981."

"Then seven total pieces is the most likely answer, though it would be preferable to have confirmation," Hermione concluded.

"Do all horcruxes behave like this one did?" Diana asked, gesturing to the ruined locket that was now sitting on the desk.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "I cannot say with any certainty. The diary was able to possess Miss Weasley because she wrote in it. I had hoped that the locket would not be able to do anything similar so long as none of us used it in the way it was intended, namely by wearing it. What I did not expect was that it would be able to lash out at all of us in such a manner. It seems to have targeted our worst fears, but unlike a boggart it was able to interact with us." Dumbledore got a haunted look on his face, and for a moment he seemed to forget that the others were in the room. "I saw my sister, Ariana. She died when... well, she died a long time ago. I have so often wished that I could see her again, but not like that. Never like that." He shook his head and came back to himself, far more somber than before.

"It was terrible," Hermione agreed. "It said horrible things to me, things that I couldn't deny, until..." She looked up at Rose and Diana. "Until you two pulled me close."

Diana gave her a wan smile. "It was doing the same to me, but I felt Rose's distress through the rings we wear, and that helped me resist. Possession of my lasso prevents me from deceiving myself, and that provides some ability to overcome mental manipulation if I'm aware of it."

Hermione was barely listening, though, because she was paying too much attention to Rose's wrist. When Diana saw what she was looking at, she whispered, "We'll explain later." Turning to Dumbledore, she asked, "What are we going to do about finding out for certain how many of these foul things he created?"

"The only person who likely knows, aside from Voldemort himself, is Horace Slughorn, and he is unwilling to share that information. I believe he is embarrassed and ashamed."

"Well, his embarrassment is going to get people killed if he doesn't help," Rose said with a scowl.

Dumbledore sighed. "I wish I could disagree. Unfortunately, there is no way to force him to comply with..." He trailed off as he met Diana's eyes, then he slowly nodded. "Ah, yes. There is another option. I am reluctant to... but no, I suppose it's getting too late for half measures. Yes, we will talk to him once more, perhaps the evening of the start of term, and if he still refuses, then I shall allow you to... insist."

"Thank you," Diana responded. "I don't suppose you have any idea where the others might be?"

"Ideas, yes, but nothing definite," Dumbledore admitted. "I've been spending much of my free time of late researching exactly that. Indeed, our evening discussions about Voldemort's past have been closely connected to my research, and I am confident that some of what we've been looking at will lead us to at least one or two more."

"I'd like to help retrieve them, if possible," Rose announced.

Dumbledore inclined his head gravely. "I shall consider that. And now, I think we must part company. I'm afraid I can no longer accept your invitation to tea, Mrs. Black. The experience with that horcrux has left me feeling quite drained, and I should rest before I get back to work this evening."

"I'm not feeling so chipper myself," Rose admitted as they got up and headed back to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

"That vision seemed to hit you pretty hard," Diana said when she and Rose were back in their room. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rose perched herself on the edge of the bed and looked uncomfortable. "I'm... not sure."

"It will probably help." Diana paused for a moment, then said softly, "Does it have to do with me?"

Rose shrugged with one shoulder. "Sort of."

"You know that I love you, don't you?" Diana asked as she sat next to Rose and took her hand.

"I know," Rose replied. "It tried to tell me that you didn't, but I didn't believe that. Well... eventually, at any rate."

"Then what?"

Rose sighed. "It was you, but not you. It told me that I'd never measure up, that no matter how hard I trained, I'd never be good enough. That I'd never be able to defeat Voldemort. I'd like to deny it, but she was right, wasn't she?"

"Oh, Rose," Diana said, taking her wife in her arms. "I've been worried about that."

"You have?" Rose pulled back to look Diana in the eye.

"I've seen how much time you spend with training, even outside our sessions. Too much time, to be quite honest."

"Then how am I ever going to get as good as you?"

"You won't. You can't."

Rose hung her head and her eyes glistened. "So she was right, wasn't she?"

"No, she wasn't."

"But—"

"Rose, you won't get as good as me because _no one_ can — not even other Amazons. My gifts come directly from the gods themselves. But that doesn't mean that you don't have your own gifts, and it certainly doesn't mean that you won't defeat Voldemort. You're already fantastic — far better than most. Your problem is that you're focusing on the wrong thing."

"What should I focus on?"

"You shouldn't simply try to imitate me," Diana explained. "Instead, you should try to be the best that you, Rose Potter, can be. You need to find your own style of fighting, your own approach, and excel at that."

Rose frowned. "I don't—"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door. Quickly she brushed the tears from her eyes and got up to answer it.

Hermione was there, wearing the subdued expression that had become her default since Christmas. When she saw Rose's face, she looked away awkwardly. "I'm sorry — is this a bad time? I can come back..."

Rose shook her head. "No, come on in. Just processing what happened earlier."

"Me too," Hermione said quietly, closing the door behind her. As if seizing on a distraction, she gestured towards Rose's wrist. "Can you tell me now where you got that tattoo? And when? I know I'd have seen if you'd had it before, but when would you have had time to get it? Is it magical? What does it mean?"

Rose looked back to Diana, who nodded, and she cast several privacy charms before they all sat down on the bed, Hermione in the middle.

"I'm surprised you can see it," Rose said. "Diana and I can, of course, and so can Diana's mother, but no one else has mentioned them."

"Normally I wouldn't say anything to you about this, as it's considered a private matter among Amazons," Diana explained. "However, since you can now see it while others can't, something's clearly changed, and I'm not sure what it is. I suspect, though, that it at least means that you should be allowed to know about it."

"So, it's an Amazon custom?" Hermione asked. "You have one too?"

Diana pushed up her sleeve and bracer to reveal her own tattoo. "Yes, I have one, and it is indeed an Amazon custom, though also not." She smiled ruefully at the face Hermione made. "Yes, I know, but honestly we're not entirely sure what's going on, either. Normally when Amazons court each other, they exchange bracelets made from thorns and four ribbons. The gold ribbon represents a prayer to Athena to bless the relationship; the rest represent tests that those involved must pass to prove they are ready for marriage. A red ribbon for love and strength of heart, green for intellect and strength of mind, blue for hope and strength of character, and finally the thorns represent danger and strength of body."

"You said bracelets, but these are tattoos," Hermione said as she examined Rose's wrist.

"That's where the uncertainty comes in," Diana explained. "I gave Rose a bracelet, just like I gave her the necklace, but there was a bright glow around our rings and then our wrists. When we could see again, we found that her bracelet had been transformed into a tattoo and that I had an identical one. We surmised that there was some odd interaction between Amazonian magic and your magic."

"But where are the green and red ribbons?" Hermione said with a puzzled frown. "I see one blue and three gold."

Rose nodded. "I think that the ribbons must change when we pass the tests. The green ribbon was there this morning, so I'm guessing that resisting the horcrux's attempt to manipulate us counted as showing strength of mind."

"I agree," Diana chimed in, "and the fact that it changed to gold instead of disappearing may represent a further blessing from Athena."

"What about the red?" Hermione asked.

"That disappeared the night before Christmas," Rose answered. "I'm not sure why, though."

Diana looked thoughtful. "I think perhaps it was because of Hermione, and that may be why she can see them now," she mused, getting surprised looks from the other two.

"Why me?"

"Well, maybe I should say our reaction to you," Diana amended. "When we came to Britain, Rose could have distanced herself from you. Between how the two of you parted and the fact that she was newly married, that would have been understandable. But she didn't. On the contrary, she made a point of ensuring that you remained an important part of her life. You continued to study with her, you helped heal her injuries from her detention, and so forth. For my part, I could easily have become jealous of you, especially given how much time you two spend together, but I haven't. Instead, I've accepted you — embraced you, even."

"But how would that affect our ribbons?" Rose asked.

"Love comes in many forms, but one thing they all have in common is the willingness to act selflessly — to act in the best interest of one's beloved rather than in one's own self-interest. And that's what we both did with Hermione that night: we put her first. We embraced her, holding her between us, but she did not come between us."

Rose nodded. "Like we did when we sat down here. I didn't even think about it."

"I still don't understand," Hermione complained. "Everything you said makes sense, but it doesn't explain why I 'd have anything to do with your love for each other."

"Hermione, the test is about love and strength of character generally, not specifically for each other," Diana said, putting her arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Amazons are a close, tight-knit community. For us, love does not cause a married couple to isolate themselves from their sisters, closing off all other relationships."

Hermione considered that, then looked down at her hands in her lap. "Can I... stay here again? It's still hard being alone. The only time I can sleep without nightmares is when I'm with you two."

"Of course you can," Rose assured her, putting her own arm around Hermione as well.

* * *

"Severus? What brings you here so late?" Dumbledore stood over his pensieve, examining a memory when Snape entered his office.

"I've just come from Narcissa Malfoy. The Dark Lord has given Draco new instructions, and Narcissa finally confided in me. I thought you should be apprised of them."

Dumbledore gestured for Snape to sit in the visitor's chair and waited for him to continue.

"In addition to finding a way to kill you, he also wants Draco to kill Diana Black. He's furious over her interference in Hogsmeade and believes that eliminating her will also hurt Potter."

"I imagine that Lucius and Narcissa are unhappy about this latest turn of events."

"Narcissa is, that is true; but I don't know about Lucius, and that's another reason why I wanted to see you," Snape said. "I was told that Lucius was sent away on a mission, but I cannot find out what it was, and Narcissa refuses to talk about him."

Dumbledore frowned. "That is concerning. I'll let people abroad know to keep an eye out for him." The Headmaster pursed his lips for a moment before saying, "Severus, unless Voldemort gives you direct orders, you must not attempt to aid Draco in attacking Mrs. Black. It would be... most unwise."

"Headmaster? I know you said to avoid antagonizing her, but you never explained why," Snape objected, impatience creeping into his tone. "Nor did you explain why you think that even you would have difficulty defeating her. I still haven't seen anything special about her, despite her unexpected success in Hogsmeade."

"There is far more to her than meets the eye," Dumbledore said. "Come, take a look at this memory." He gestured for Snape to join him at the pensieve, and together they entered Dumbledore's memory of his unexpected mission alongside the Justice Society of America.

"How can that possibly be the same person?" Snape asked once they both exited.

"It is true that there are some slight differences, likely due to the passage of time," the older wizard said evasively, "but I can guarantee you that Diana Black is indeed Wonder Woman." He then walked over to his desk and picked up a pile of articles cut from muggle newspapers and handed them to his Potions professor. "Here is but a small sample of the things she has done for the muggle world: creatures she has battled, people she has saved. This last one you might find particularly enlightening."

Snape blanched when he read the headline:

 **WONDER WOMAN REDIRECTS RUSSIAN NUKE INTO SPACE**

 **SURVIVES MULTI-MEGATON EXPLOSION!**

"I trust that you, unlike so many in our society, understand the significance of this?"

Snape nodded dumbly, unable to speak as he considered what it meant that a person could not only force an intercontinental missile into space, but also survive a nuclear explosion.

"I know that you thought she was little more than an especially strong squib, perhaps even a muggle; but the truth is that she is far, far more than you can imagine.

"But if she is so powerful, then why hasn't she simply gone out to crush the Dark Lord?"

"She is not invulnerable, as the fight in Hogsmeade demonstrated," Dumbledore pointed out. "Being unfamiliar with both the magic we use and Voldemort's tactics, she is biding her time, learning what she can without also revealing to others exactly what she is capable of. Thus, when she does act, she will do so decisively. And of course, there is the prophecy to consider."

"Yes, Potter is supposed to vanquish him somehow," Snape muttered.

"And I believe Mrs. Black will guarantee that she gets her chance. Her strength and power are considerable — far beyond what most witches and wizards in our society will ever see. Unless someone manages to surprise her and kill her in their first strike, I doubt they would stand any chance, and I'm not sure how many alive today would be able to strike at her before she knew they were there."

Snape nodded again. "I shall... keep this in mind, Headmaster."

* * *

Diana softly closed and waited by the door as the Headmaster went behind his desk and Horace Slughorn took one of the visitors' seats. It had been difficult sitting through the Opening Feast of the new term, knowing that this was coming.

"What's the trouble, Albus?" Slughorn asked. "You've been awfully mysterious about this meeting."

"My apologies, Horace, but it was necessary. I realize that this is an unpleasant subject for you, but the time has come that we can no longer wait. It is imperative that we learn exactly how many horcruxes Voldemort has made."

Slughorn shot out of his chair as if he'd been bitten. "Albus! I've already given you a memory of that meeting—"

"A memory which you modified, Horace," Dumbledore said tiredly. "We both know that you've concealed something important."

"I won't stand around here and be slandered like this! You'll be lucky if I've not quit by morning!" Slughorn spun around to storm out of the Headmaster's office, but Diana had moved and was standing right in front of him, her arms crossed and looking down without a shred of pity.

"Wha-what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry it's come to this, Horace, but it seems that we'll have to resort to drastic steps to force the truth out of you."

"I regularly take an antidote to veritaserum!" Slughorn declared, spinning around to face Dumbledore. "It's my own creation, so it can't be countered!"

"Then it's a good thing we didn't plan on using veritaserum," Dumbledore responded, nodding to Diana, who quickly dropped a loop of her golden lasso around Slughorn's wide body.

"What is going on here?" he demanded as he struggled against the rope.

"Once again, Horace, how many horcruxes did Voldemort plan on creating?"

Slughorn's mouth opened and closed silently several times, but no sound emerged. Diana tightened the lasso a little more and commanded, "Tell us."

"Si-six, I think," Slughorn choked out. "He thought that seven was a powerful number, and that seven pieces of a soul would be a good idea." The professor started to shake violently before collapsing into the chair. "Oh, Merlin, what have I done?" he sobbed. "I thought he was only asking about theory, showing curiosity about rare branches of magic! He was so studious and charming, but then a flash of his real personality shone in his eyes and... and... Oh, it's all my fault, isn't it? It's my fault that the monster that ravaged our world couldn't be killed! And instead of fighting him, I hid in my web, pulling in favors and making myself comfortable at the expense of others! I'm... I'm a parasite, Albus. I care more about my own comfort than the lives and wellbeing of the students I'm supposed to teach!"

Diana slowly drew back her lasso as Slughorn sobbed, no longer needing the magic to admit to the truth. After a few minutes his confession came to an end and Diana laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "There is no shame in being fooled by someone so charismatic."

"If it helps," Dumbledore offered, "I'm quite sure that Tom had already created one horcrux by the time he talked to you, so you aren't responsible for that. At most, you merely confirmed that creating more than one might be possible — something that he likely would have tried even if you hadn't said anything." Slughorn simply sat there, his eyes distant. "If you'd like, I can cancel your classes for the next few days..."

"No," the man whispered, shaking his head as he stood. He looked at Diana for a long moment before saying, "I'm not sure if I should thank you... or curse you." He then hurried out of the office.

"I suppose that sort of reaction is not uncommon," Dumbledore remarked as Diana sat.

"No, few mortals are able to fully face the truth about themselves without some difficulty." She noticed him eyeing the lasso, so she held it out towards him with a slightly whimsical smile. "Would you like to try it on again? I'll be gentle."

Dumbledore shook his head sharply. "No, once was more than enough, thank you. The truth... the truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should be treated with great caution."

"Caution?" She frowned. "I find the truth to be liberating, and many who have been bound by the lasso agree. We should embrace the truth because knowing the truth about yourself frees you to be who and what you are. That's far better than living behind the masks of self-deception that others' expectations force upon you."

"For old men, filled with regret, our masks have become too much a part of who we are. Losing them, let alone having them ripped away, can be... traumatic."

Diana nodded slowly. "I can see how that might be the case. A young person, on the other hand, who faces the truth about themselves and has the courage to embrace it can still take advantage of the freedom which it offers. They just need the courage, and perhaps the right encouragement, to reach out for it."

Dumbledore didn't say anything, he simply turned away and stared into the fire.

* * *

Diana paused in her rounds and concentrated; after a moment, she understood what she was sensing. Or rather, what she was sensing again. The new term wasn't even a week old and the boy was already at it once more, though it was clear that he was trying something new in order to not get caught. Deciding that a more proactive approach was necessary, she silently removed her lasso from under her robe, spun it above her head, and let it loose. It flew for about ten meters before dropping, allowing her to pull it snug around something invisible but clearly tangible.

"What the... What is the meaning of this?" came the outraged response.

Diana continued to pull the lasso tight as she approached the spot where it seemed to hang in the air; once there, she reached out and pulled, revealing Draco Malfoy's red, sputtering face.

"Nice invisibility cloak, though I've seen better," Diana commented. "I doubt the Headmaster will let you keep it."

"You don't know anything!"

"Then why don't you educate me," Diana responded. "Are you out after curfew in an attempt to help Voldemort?"

Draco immediately nodded, and from the look on his face he was shocked to even be answering at all, much less doing so truthfully. "What is this?" he asked. "What are you doing to me?"

"My lasso forces your compliance with my orders, and right now I want you to tell the truth."

Draco shook his head violently.

"Come, it's time that you talked to the Headmaster." Diana grabbed him by the back of his collar and guided him through the corridors until they reached the gargoyle, which almost immediately stepped aside to allow them to proceed.

"Headmaster?" Diana called as they entered his office.

"Ah, Mrs. Black," Dumbledore said as he looked up, then frowned when he saw that she wasn't alone. "And Mr. Malfoy. Out again after curfew?" With a weary look in his eyes, he summoned a house elf to fetch the head of Slytherin, then turned back to face his visitors. "I see that our Castle Warden has introduced you to her lasso."

"Please, don't make me say any more. He'll kill me if he finds out that I've talked," Draco said in a rush, his terror plain.

"Voldemort, you mean?" Diana asked, one eyebrow raised.

Draco nodded and seemed to be biting his tongue so that he wouldn't speak again.

"Don't you follow him willingly? Don't you agree with his ideals and goals?" Diana asked.

"Ye-yes," Draco admitted, fighting all the while. "I've always believed that the wizarding world should be cleansed of filth, but... but I'm not sure what the Dark Lord will end up doing to me and my family. I'm scared."

"You've followed your father in the service of a madman who only cares about himself," Dumbledore pointed out. "Is this who and what you truly wish to be?"

Draco shook his head violently. His right hand reached out towards his left forearm, but tied up as he was, he couldn't reach that far. "I'm a Malfoy," he said softly. "That's supposed to mean something. I'm expected to do great things."

"You have no set destiny aside from the choices you make for yourself," Dumbledore told him. "I've watched you closely these last few years, and I confess that I've been disappointed in some of the choices you've made. However, it is still possible for you to change course. You have not yet reached the point of no return, though I fear that you are approaching it rapidly."

Draco looked down and nodded, still refusing to speak.

After a long pause, Dumbledore finally said, "I know things must seem confusing for you right now, Mr. Malfoy, but I hope that you'll come to realize that you are not alone. It may seem as if you are, but there are people here who will help you, if you but ask."

Draco was silent for a few moments before jerkily nodding. "I... I'll think about it."

"That's all I can ask. Ah, here's Professor Snape now. He will escort you back to your dorm and set your punishment." Diana removed the lasso.

"Headmaster," Snape said in greeting, ignoring the Amazon as he laid a hand on his student's shoulder and steered him out of the office.

"This is the third time," Snape said once they were down in the corridor. "I'm not sure I'll be able to conceal this latest failure from the Dark Lord, though I will try."

Draco blanched but didn't respond.

"Your mother has been asking about you," Snape said, trying again to draw the young wizard out. "She's worried, even though I tell her that I'm watching over you as much as I can."

The mention of his mother seemed to bring a crack in Draco's resolve. He still said nothing, but he looked as if he might be wavering a little. Snape tried again. "Unfortunately, I have yet to see or hear from your father, but I know he expects you to make him proud — to live up to your name. Both your parents do."

At that, the young man's face went blank, his emotion only betrayed by a tightness in his jaw. He straightened a bit and nodded curtly at his professor, and Snape could see that the moment was lost. With an inward curse, he turned and began leading them back to the dungeon.

* * *

It was near the end of January when the _Daily Prophet_ ran its most salacious headline yet:

 **GIRL WHO LIVED IN MENAGE-A-MUGGLE?**

 **MUGGLEBORN STUDENT LINKED ROMANTICALLY TO WIZARDING SAVIOR  
** _ **by: Seamus Hammity**_

 _This reporter has been made privy to information from Hogwarts that Rose Potter, the Girl Who Lived and Chosen One to defeat You-Know-Who, is now involved in a second scandalous relationship! Not content with flouting all morals and conventions by marrying an American woman who is, according to some, merely a muggle, Rose Potter has been frequently seen disappearing with Hermione Granger, a plain and bossy muggleborn witch who is also in Gryffindor._

 _This is yet more evidence that the Girl Who Lived has been led astray by muggle perversions, something that would never have happened if she'd been raised by a proper, upstanding wizarding family instead of dumped with muggles as she appears to have been. Increasingly, members of the Wizengamot are calling for an inquiry into Albus Dumbledore's handling of Rose Potter's guardianship, while others are demanding a review of her so-called "marriage" to Diana Black._

 _This latest news is sure to add fuel to the fire and encourage those who believe that Potter should be taken into custody and forced to see the error of her ways. According to anonymous sources, several Wizengamot members are working on bills that would place Potter and any other minors discovered to have fallen victim to muggle deviancy into a reeducation facility that would teach them how to behave like proper witches and wizards._

"I'm so sorry," Rose whispered, trying desperately to ignore all the stares and murmurs coming from around the Great Hall. "You shouldn't—"

"It's not your fault, Rose," Hermione interrupted. "You've had to deal with this since September, so I'm sure I can handle it as well."

"But at least it's true about me," she retorted. "Not all the nasty stuff, sure, but the basic complaint is. You, however..."

Hermione shook her head. "It doesn't matter whether it's true or false. People are simply looking for an excuse to hate, and they'll latch onto whatever is convenient." She looked at Rose for a moment before deliberately grasping her hand. "If I complained, then people wouldn't perceive that as me simply correcting an error. They'd see it as me denouncing being gay as something shameful. And what would that say about what I thought of you?"

"Oh! I didn't think..."

Hermione smiled faintly as she gave Rose's hand a quick squeeze before returning to her breakfast. "You didn't need to. _I_ needed to."

"Thank you," Rose said softly.

"Hey, is there anything worth reading in that?" Ron asked, being rather obvious in his attempt to change the subject.

"A small article about Fudge being investigated," Hermione said. "No details, just Fudge insisting that he's done nothing wrong and will continue to act in the best interests of Wizarding Britain." Several people snorted. "There's also an article here about an increase in werewolf attacks," she continued. "Mostly in North Yorkshire, and it's being blamed on You-Know-Who."

"What's in North Yorkshire?" Rose asked. "I've not heard of any wizarding villages there."

Neville shook his head. "There aren't any. I don't know why he'd attack anyone there."

That was when the Headmaster entered the Great Hall, followed closely by a wizard with a thick mane of hair and a large moustache. To either side of them stood several red-robed aurors who continuously looked around. The Headmaster looked at Rose gravely for a moment before gesturing for her to come with him.

"What do you think he wants?" Rose said worriedly.

"Did you do anything?" Ron asked.

"No!"

"You'd better go," Hermione said. "Whatever it is, you can't keep him waiting."

Rose gulped and stood slowly, but a quick glance at the head table revealed that Diana was already up and moving. Rose took a deep breath and straightened before heading for the doors. She had no idea what fresh hell awaited her this time, but at least Diana would be by her side.

* * *

A/N 2: Events regarding the nuclear missile taken from Wonder Woman Volume 3, Issue #31 (#586).


	17. Stacking the Deck

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **A/N 2:** Due to a death in the family, I will not be posting anything next week.

 **Warning:** There's more than the usual amount of cursing in this chapter, and I'm not talking about the spells.

 **Recommendation:** _I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For_ , by kathryn518. When Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order, she had a chance encounter with a crazy, black-haired man in a bar. She didn't understand how he could use the Force as he did, but she knew she wanted to learn more. And with that, the course of the entire galaxy shifted. I recommended this once before, but it was recently updated and is still going strong. It could also be entitled, _Harry Potter Unleashed_.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - Stacking the Deck**

 **Late January, 1997. Hogwarts.**

"Headmaster?" Rose asked when she reached the doors out of the Great Hall, but he didn't respond. Instead, he looked over her shoulder and, noting Diana's approach, nodded his approval before leading the entire group down the nearest hall. No one spoke, and the only person in the group whom Rose recognized was Percy, who was looking far more nervous than she'd ever seen him.

Once they had all entered one of the many empty classrooms and Dumbledore had secured it with numerous charms, the unfamiliar wizard with the bushy moustache introduced himself.

"Miss Potter? My name is Rufus Scrimgeour. I'm the new Minister for Magic."

"Minister?" Rose asked in confusion, shaking the offered hand reflexively. "But I was just reading the _Prophet_ — it didn't say anything about a new minister."

"Yes, there was an emergency session of the Wizengamot early this morning," Dumbledore explained. "Cornelius was expelled and a new Minister was chosen."

"Oh. Well, uh, congratulations," Rose said awkwardly. She looked the man up and down and was surprised to note that he was dressed far more simply than Fudge had ever been. She met his eyes again. "It's _Mrs._ Potter, though. This is my wife, Diana Black. Perhaps you've heard of her?"

With a start, he looked over at the Amazon and belatedly offered his hand, which she shook. "Indeed. My apologies, Mrs. Potter. Mrs. Black." He cleared his throat. "As I was about to say, not many people wanted the job. At least, not many who weren't suspected of supporting You-Know-Who. And others, like Amelia Bones, thought they'd do better staying in their current jobs. Now, I suppose you're wondering why I'm here instead of settling into my new office?"

Rose nodded as she took the seat which the Headmaster offered her.

"I'm aware of how the Ministry has treated you, and I want you to know that I completely disagree with that treatment." His eyes shifted briefly in Percy's direction. "Nearly every decision they made was wrong. I'm hoping, though, that you'll consider starting over with us now that there's a new Minister in charge. I can't expect you to simply forget the past, but I would ask that you try to set it aside so we can work together against the Dark Lord who threatens our entire community."

Rose's face hardened as she pulled out that day's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ and tossed it onto the table between them. "New start?" she asked.

Scrimgeour sighed. "I'm sorry about this. Contrary to what you must think, the _Daily Prophet_ is not directly controlled by the Ministry. Unfortunately, it _is_ controlled by cronies and allies of Fudge. I'm not sure how they'll react now that Fudge is no longer in office, but I doubt that the stories will change all that much — he still has supporters in the Wizengamot and Ministry."

"So there's nothing you can do?"

"Not directly," Scrimgeour admitted. "I can issue statements, and I can withhold favors, but I cannot directly stop such stories, nor can I directly insert my own."

"Which is as it should be," Dumbledore put in. "Although I wish we had laws against lying or slander, I am happy that the government does not directly control the press."

"Quite right," Scrimgeour agreed.

"What exactly do you want from me, though?" Rose asked, her expression softening a little. "I don't want to become some sort of poster girl for the Ministry. I won't be a pawn for others' agendas."

"Understandable," Scrimgeour said. "It is shameful how the Ministry tried to use you instead of confronting the Dark Lord directly. At the same time, though, you can't expect the Ministry to fight while you stand on the sidelines and do nothing. Like it or not, you are a symbol — you were even before the prophecy was revealed. And people need symbols to rally around, to inspire them. If you take away your symbolic value in this fight, you'll make it harder for people to stand against him. Is that what you truly want?"

"No!" Rose protested.

"This is war," Scrimgeour said, "and war requires working with allies — including allies that you don't much like."

"He's right," Diana pointed out. "I'm trying to forge an alliance with the centaurs, and they aren't the most pleasant of beings to work with. Nevertheless, having them watching our flank in the forest would be useful."

Scrimgeour's eyebrows rose at that. "Have you now? Well, I hope you'll put in a good word for us the next time you talk to them," he said genially before turning back to Rose. "I'm not saying that I approve of having to rely on you... though I do approve of people having symbols to rally around, especially in a crisis. But I'm sorry it's you. And that's the reality: it is you. So what are you going to do about it?"

"Symbols can be more powerful than any physical weapon," Diana observed. "If you can weaken the enemy and save lives without firing a shot, shouldn't you?"

Rose stared at the table for a long moment, thinking hard about the lessons Diana had given her about politics and history. Finally she sighed. "I'm not happy about this, but you do have a point." She looked up and fixed the Minister with an evaluating expression. "May I ask what you think about my wife here?"

Scrimgeour frowned and seemed taken aback by the question. "Well, I'm not sure that it's any of my business," he hedged. "I care much more about eliminating the looming threat to our lives and our society. Besides, she obviously knows what she's talking about — if she keeps talking sense like that, you won't have any problems from me or anyone who works from me."

"Fine. You want me to support the Ministry in at least a symbolic way while you take practical steps against Voldemort, right?"

He nodded. "If that prophecy is true, you'll need to be there to end this conflict, but until then it's our job to deal with the threat. I used to be an auror, Mrs. Potter. You can trust that that's something I understand."

Rose smiled. "Then I need to know that the Ministry I'm supporting truly is a new Ministry, not the same one that was under Fudge."

"And how do you propose to achieve that?" Scrimgeour asked, his brow furrowing.

"Sirius Black."

"The murderer?"

"My godfather," Rose said coldly.

"But he betrayed your parents, giving the secret to—"

"No, he wasn't the secret keeper," Rose interrupted. "He was innocent. He was thrown into Azkaban without a trial. Fudge ordered his summary execution without any sort of hearing. No one has even _tried_ to investigate his case. Well, no one except Madam Bones, I think, but she hasn't gotten far."

"Disturbing, if true," Scrimgeour said, stroking his chin. "Who do you think betrayed your parents?"

"Peter Pettigrew," Rose answered. "I know everyone thinks he was murdered by Sirius, but he wasn't. He was the true betrayer. And he was the one who resurrected Voldemort in the graveyard."

"If he's still alive, where has he been all this time?" one of the other wizards demanded.

"He's an animagus," Rose answered. "A rat animagus." She turned to glare at Percy, and Scrimgeour followed her gaze with curiosity. Percy himself was confused to suddenly be the center of attention. "He had a distinctive characteristic that's easy to spot," Rose continued. "He was missing a toe on his right front paw. Though now that paw is silver, since Pettigrew had to sacrifice his right hand in the resurrection ritual."

Percy opened his mouth to say something, then abruptly closed it and paled. "Sc-scabbers?" Rose nodded. "But... but that's not possible."

"Who is Scabbers?" Scrimgeour demanded.

"M-my pet rat, sir. But he couldn't... I mean, it's just not possible."

"Where did you buy this pet rat?" Scrimgeour sounded less like a Minister now and more like a police interrogator.

"Nowhere," Percy answered immediately. "He showed up at the Burrow one winter. He was cold and hungry, and I didn't have a pet, so my father created a cage and let me take him in. It was sort of a Christmas present. When I got an owl for making prefect in my fifth year, I gave Scabbers to my brother, Ron."

"How long ago was this?" Scrimgeour asked.

"I think I was about five or six."

"Winter of 1981?" Rose pressed, and Percy nodded.

Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed. "You had that rat for ten years, then your brother for several more?" Percy nodded again, jerkily this time. Scrimgeour practically growled. "The average rat should only live for three or four years. Maybe five, if they're exceptionally well cared for. And you never noticed that your own pet lived more than twice that long?"

Percy shook his head. Or maybe he was just shaking that hard all over. "N-no. I-I thought it was magic."

Scrimgeour snorted. "Not bloody likely." He turned back to Rose. "What exactly do you want?"

"I want my godfather exonerated. If you can publicize the evidence of his innocence and clear his name, that will show me in practical terms that the Ministry has changed."

"You want more than words. Smart," Scrimgeour reluctantly admitted. "The powers of the Minister are not limitless. I'm not a dictator, nor do I wish to be. But that doesn't mean my hands are completely tied. If Sirius Black is innocent — or if there's even just strong reasons to doubt his guilt — I can push forward with an investigation. It definitely sounds like one is warranted." His eyes darted over to Percy, who seemed to have shrunk in on himself under the harsh stares of those around him. "More than one, in fact. It won't be quick, but I believe I can get it done. That Amelia has already started will help a lot, and will even provide me some cover if anyone accuses me of pandering to you." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "And considering what else I need to do, that investigation might provide some useful cover itself."

"Then if anyone asks, I'll say positive things about the Ministry," Rose suggested. "But no more until I see actual changes."

"Fine," Scrimgeour said with a brisk nod as he held out his hand to shake hers. "I can work with that."

"It seems that Mrs. Black has been teaching you a great deal about how to play the political game," Dumbledore said once the Minister and his entourage had left.

"It's been slow going, but yes," Rose responded. "Scrimgeour seemed like a decent wizard. Better than Fudge, at least."

"For the moment," Dumbledore said, and Rose looked at him quizzically. "It's an unfortunate truth that time spent in a political office rarely makes a person better. It ages us all and often makes us more cynical, sucking the life out of whatever idealism we once had. This is his first day as Minister, and while he is no stranger to politics, I have no doubt that the pressures of the war will change him. Probably for the worse."

"Are you sure that's not your own cynicism talking?" Diana asked.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore conceded, "but that doesn't mean it isn't true. I regret that you're being forced to experience it at such a young age, Mrs. Potter. Politics should be an old man's game."

"It was for a good cause," Rose said with a shiver, "yet I still feel dirty."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I'm afraid it won't get any better, my dear."

"How do you deal with it?"

"Lots and lots of very hot showers."

* * *

 **Early February, 1997. Hogwarts.**

"Is it just me, or is it getting worse?" Rose asked softly once they'd left behind the whispers and stares of the Great Hall.

Hermione shook her head. "It's hard to say. Sometimes I feel like it is, but maybe it's getting harder to deal with." She shot Rose a stern look. "And before you start, like I already said, you have nothing to apologize for."

"That doesn't mean I don't wish I could do something. You don't deserve this."

"Neither do you."

"And you're still not going to let me hex them? Or at least sic Dobby and Winky on them?"

Hermione snorted, knowing how much Rose was tempted to do that on an almost daily basis. "As entertaining as it might be, I think it would be counterproductive. Besides, Mala said... well, she told me that you couldn't achieve your true potential if your heart was filled with hate. You need to be filled with love."

"Yeah, Diana has said similar things. I guess she's right, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't _love_ to hex those prats."

"Rose!"

"And Dobby would absolutely _love_ to teach them some painful lessons..."

"I doubt that's what she meant!"

Rose shrugged. "Close enough. And here we are," she concluded, stopping by a non-descript classroom door. "Let's get started." She opened the door, revealing Diana and Mala already waiting for them, decked out in simple leather armor.

"How are we going to do this?" Hermione asked as she dropped her books in a corner and took off her outer robe. She'd been looking forward to this day for what seemed like ages, but it had taken a long time for Mala to sufficiently heal from all the curses she'd been hit with.

"We'll start with basic spells," Diana said. "Explain to us how they work, then start casting at us so we can determine the best defenses. We'll keep doing this, a few spells every session, until we run out of spells you can legally show us. The second half of the session will be more traditional sparring."

Hermione and Rose agreed, and thus began a pattern that would be repeated several times a week for the next four months. During the sparring portion, the Amazons would pair off with the witches, switching every so often while they taught the younger girls about dodging, blocking, and hand-to-hand combat.

"That..." Hermione declared between panting breaths a couple of hours later, "was exhausting."

"It's only your first time," Mala responded. "It will get easier. Lots more fun, too."

"It's better to start slowly, though," Rose added as she leaned into an embrace with Diana. When Hermione raised a puzzled eyebrow, Diana simply held out one hand and gestured for her to join them. She regarded them for a moment, then hesitantly walked up and leaned in next to Rose. She closed her eyes and sighed as she felt both of them wrap their arms around her, pulling her in close.

The utter bliss she was experiencing was interrupted by Mala clearing her throat rather loudly behind her.

"This is our after-training cuddle," Diana said matter-of-factly.

"After-training cuddle?" Mala asked. "What in Hera's name is that?"

"Combat is aggressive and tends to encourage negative emotions. In contrast, cuddling is calming and encourages positive emotions. It helps remind us of why we are learning to fight in the first place."

"Seriously?" Mala asked. Hermione didn't blame her for sounding so skeptical — she would be too, if she weren't already experiencing the effects first-hand.

Diana reached out with her other arm, and after a moment Hermione felt the Amazon join them on Rose's other side. She heard her sigh just as deeply as she herself had, and after a few moments Mala said, "We should have thought of this centuries ago."

"You have Rose to thank — it was her idea," Diana replied.

"You're going to recommend to your mother that we start doing this at home, right?"

"Of course!"

"Then be sure to add my recommendation as well."

* * *

 **Late February, 1997. Hogwarts.**

Rose tumbled out of the fireplace with all the grace of a spastic orangutang and was glad that Diana was the only one to see her. "I swear, magical travel hates me," she muttered as her wife helped her to her feet.

Just then Sirius hurried into the room, drawn by the noise. "Rose! Diana! What are you two doing here? Is there trouble at the castle?"

"No, nothing like that," Diana assured him. "I've tracked down a... well, an acquaintance who might be able to help Rose with Voldemort. He's usually in London, but for some reason he's been on the move lately, and I don't know how long he'll be at his current location. Headmaster Dumbledore gave me permission to take Rose out of the castle today so we could go find him."

"Where will you be going? Do you need an escort?"

"We're going to North Yorkshire, and we'll be fine," Diana answered. "He's not the friendliest person, but he won't start any fights, either."

"North Yorkshire?" Remus asked as he entered the room. "I'm not sure going there is such a good idea."

"Why not?" Rose asked.

"There's been werewolf trouble there recently."

"I think I remember Hermione mentioning something about that," Rose said.

"Do you think it will be a problem?" Diana asked.

"I can't say, because there _shouldn't_ be any werewolf trouble in North Yorkshire," Remus explained. "Werewolves stay away from that area, even when in their human form. There's something about that place that calls to us, but it also scares us. No one understands why, so we stay as far away from that area as possible."

"You never said anything about that," Sirius noted.

Remus shook his head. "No werewolf will. We don't even speak about it amongst ourselves, at least not above a whisper, and we certainly won't discuss it with outsiders." He stopped then and looked a bit sheepish. "Um, except for now, I guess." To Diana he said, "Whatever is going on up there, I should go with you, just in case."

Diana nodded. "I'll take that help. That also gives me some idea of what he's doing there."

"Me, too!" Sirius announced. "I'll just..."

"No, Sirius, it's not safe," Rose interrupted.

Remus spoke up before Sirius could object. "She's right, Padfoot. There's bound to be an extra Ministry presence in that area."

"Sirius," Rose said, stepping up to him and taking one of his hands in hers. "I can't risk losing you, not now. Not when the Ministry is finally looking into your case. I know you hate it here, but please, do this for me?"

"Fine," Sirius huffed. "I'll stay here. If you run into trouble, though, send me a patronus and I'll organize backup for you."

"Sounds like a plan," Remus agreed.

Sirius frowned and turned to Diana. "Who is this bloke, anyway?"

* * *

"The name's Constantine. John Constantine, arsehole. Now sod off before I shove this bottle up yer arse, break it off, and stab yeh in yer bollocks with what's left!"

"Please tell me that's not him," Rose whispered, aghast, as she watched the disheveled man shove another patron away before taking a pint of beer from the bar and returning to his table.

"Oh, that's him alright," Diana said. "Hasn't changed a bit, either."

"And he's supposed to help us?"

"Since he looks like he's in a good mood, I'm optimistic," Diana said, earning her a horrified look from Rose. Remus was outside, scouting the small town, so it was just the two of them in the small pub. "Why don't you go to the bar and order a drink. I should probably talk to him alone, at least to start."

"Yeah, no problem," Rose muttered as Diana straightened and marched over to Constantine's table.

"'Ello, luv, looking for a good..." Constantine started before pausing to look at Diana more closely. "Well, well, well. I never expected to see you again, Princess, and certainly not in a place like this. Aren't you on the run from the bleedin' law or something? There wouldn't happen to be a reward for your capture, would there? 'Cuz I've been a little short on cash lately..."

"Constantine," she replied evenly as she took the chair opposite him.

"Please, have a seat — join me."

"Thanks, don't mind if I do," Diana said with a slight smirk. "I was frankly surprised to learn that you weren't in London."

"Stalking me, eh?" Constantine said with a much larger smirk. "Can't say as I blame you. That's why I had to leave, in fact. An American bird working for some tabloid was after me for a story, so I decided to fuck off to the countryside for a while."

"You, running from a woman?" Diana asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"She talks too much," Constantine said, taking a long drink from his beer. "So why are _you_ after me? Didn't think I owed you money."

Diana shook her head. "I've got a magical problem, and I'm hoping that you might at least be able to provide some advice, if not some help."

"Magical problem? You? I can understand the others needing my help, but you've always managed fine with magic."

"Not this kind of magic, and not in Britain. I've..." Diana hesitated, then sighed. "I guess there's no easy way to put this. I'm married. My wife is a British witch. There's a prophecy about her that says she either has to kill an evil dark lord or he'll kill her. Obviously, I'd prefer it if she survived. I've grown rather fond of her, you see."

She had timed her explanation for when Constantine was taking another drink, and as expected he spat half of it out in surprise. "You fuckin' did that on purpose!" he spluttered, not even bothering to clean up the table, but Diana kept an innocent expression on her face. "I can't imagine you married to anyone, except maybe the Boy Scout. But to another bird? So where is the little woman?" Diana gestured to where Rose was sitting at the bar, drinking a soda. At least, she hoped it was just a soda. The last thing Diana needed was Rose and Constantine getting drunk together.

Constantine regarded her for a long moment. "Little is right. What is she, fourteen? A bit young for you, ain't she?"

"Sixteen, and it was... unusual circumstances."

"Heh, I'll bet. You know what they'd say about me if I shacked up with a sixteen-year-old kid."

"Well, you're you — you're a reprobate with no morals who cares about little aside from your own pleasure and comfort. Whereas _I_ am a paragon of decency and justice."

Constantine actually looked a little offended. "At least I know where I stand with you," he said petulantly, and Diana might have felt bad for him if she hadn't known so much about his past.

"That's because, unlike you, I'm also always honest."

He snorted. "So tell me why a fuckin' reprobate like myself should do you any bloody favors."

"Because you want to prove me wrong." Diana fixed him with a challenging stare, daring him to deny it.

He broke the gaze first. "You're a royal bitch, yeh know that?" he muttered, looking down in disgust at his empty glass. "Go get us another round to replace the one you caused me to spit out and bring the little woman over here. Then we'll talk. Maybe I'll help you out, but you'll need to help me first." Diana raised one eyebrow. "A friend lives in this village and has been having trouble. I thought I'd help, but I've been stumped so far. Maybe the two of you will have more luck than me." Diana nodded and went to the bar to fetch Rose and drinks.

The conversation had gone pretty much as she'd expected, including the last part. Constantine never did anything for free.

* * *

"How can you be so sure that werewolves are involved?" Constantine asked as they walked along the dark lane. He pulled his trench coat a bit tighter against the cold air.

"Oh, I have my ways," Remus said evasively, taking in a deep breath of the night air. They'd all agreed months ago that news about Remus being cured would only be released on a need-to-know basis.

"I thought it was my schtick to be all dark and mysterious," Constantine groused as he tossed aside a cigarette butt and pulled out another. "But if it's fuckin' werewolves, I don't fancy being out at night, looking for 'em. Even if it isn't the full moon."

"I think it's only one," Remus said. "Someone newly turned. But there's also something else in the air..."

"Ah, hell," Constantine spat. "My guess is that would be Phil, old Wilf's son. He's the one I'm supposed to be helping here."

"Why do you think it's him?" Diana asked.

"Wilf was saying that his son's been sick lately, missing work," Constantine answered. "Since it hasn't been the full moon, and since there haven't been any reports of werewolves in this area at any time I can remember, I didn't think..."

"Nor should you have," Remus interrupted. "It's a werewolf, but there's also more going on here. A werewolf shouldn't be running around this area, never mind outside the full moon."

"So what you're saying is that we have no idea what we're looking for," Diana concluded. "Just that it's dangerous and mysterious."

"Story of my life," Constantine and Rose said almost simultaneously, causing them to eye each other in curiosity for a moment.

"I gotta say, I never thought I'd be taking a nighttime stroll with the bleedin' Girl Who Lived," Constantine quipped. Diana shot him a warning glare which he seemed to find amusing.

"I can think of better places and times to do it," Rose retorted, suppressing a shiver. She looked around at the ever-thickening mist as the village receded into the distance behind them.

Constantine laughed, but it sounded oddly flat in the fog, and he fell as silent as the others as they continued on their trek. They walked another five minutes and reached a crossroads when they finally found what they were looking for. Or rather, it found them.

A large, bipedal wolf creature suddenly leapt out from the underbrush and landed in front of them, its legs set wide in a combat stance. Remus and Rose almost instantly had their wands out, and two short swords flashed in Diana's hands.

"What do you want?" came a gravelly voice from the hulking creature.

Constantine frowned. "Phil, is that you?" he asked, stepping forward. He only received a low, rumbling growl as an answer.

"Werewolf!" Rose exclaimed.

"That shouldn't be possible," Remus whispered.

Constantine glanced back at the others, then returned his gaze to the werewolf. "Phil, we don't want any trouble here. We're investigating what's been happening to the sheep in the area. I'm guessing we have that answer now, though that raises the question of what the hell happened to _you_."

"I can't stop myself!" Phil said. "Everywhere I go, I feel the bloodlust. The need to kill and feed!"

"He's a danger to the people around here," Diana whispered, but the wolf's hearing easily picked up her words.

"You think I don't know that? My **family** lives here! **Children** live here!"

"So what are you going to do, Phil?" Constantine asked. "If you're a threat to innocent people, you for damn sure can't be allowed to roam free."

"I was found tonight," Phil answered. "Found by a new family." At that, several horses appeared out of the mist, each bearing a bulky rider with decidedly wolfish features. "These are the First Ones — the first lycans, who blended wolf and man before the infection degenerated, creating the monsters we know today. I was accidentally infected by one of their kills, and they offered to take me in."

"I suppose that solves both the sheep problem and the danger problem," Constantine said, lighting up a new cigarette. "It might even explain what you're doing running around as a wolf without the full moon. But what do you want me to tell your father?"

"I... I... can't go back," Phil said, sagging a bit. "Tell them... tell him..."

Rose grabbed Diana's arm and looked at her, pleading with her eyes. Diana didn't know Phil, but it was clear that he didn't want to be a werewolf. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded.

"What if we could offer you an alternative?" Rose asked, stepping forward now. "What if you could be cured?"

"There is no cure!" Phil howled, and the horses shifted nervously around them.

"That's not true," Diana announced, and Constantine turned to look at her in surprise. "A cure is possible, but it isn't easy and can't be done here."

"Prove it!" came the deep, resonant voice of one of the riders as his horse moved closer.

Diana looked at Remus, who nodded and approached the others, his hands held out in a non-threatening manner. The rider dismounted and stepped up to him, grabbing one of his hands and sniffing deeply from his wrist, up his arm, and around his neck. Rose thought it looked disturbingly intimate, but she didn't dare interrupt.

"It is true!" the rider announced, receiving growls and muttering in response from the others. He looked at Rose and Diana again. "Would you cure others?"

Diana nodded. "My mother, the queen of my people, has final say, but I believe I can convince her. Only one or two will be able to be cured at any one time, and it takes several months to accomplish, yet it can be done. In fact, it might even be easier for Phil, since he retains far more of your human mind than Remus did when he was still afflicted."

The rider retreated to talk to the others, though to Rose it sounded like little more than yips and growls.

"You're full of surprises tonight, ain'tcha, Princess?" Constantine commented. Diana chose not to answer.

After several minutes, the rider who'd spoken before approached again. "We will take this new cub with us for now, but he and others like him will be given a choice to seek the cure from you or remain as they are. What do you demand in return for this boon?"

Diana looked down at Rose, who stammered, "Want? I don't... I mean, it's the right thing to do." She frowned and thought for a moment before finally saying, "There's a war coming."

"You wish us to fight for you?" the rider growled.

"No! I don't want anyone to have to fight at all, much less for me! But Voldemort will have werewolves fighting for him, just like he did last time."

"Cubs!" the rider interrupted. "Not of our pack."

"Right, well, can you convince them not to fight at all, maybe?"

The werewolf's eyes seemed to narrow as he examined her. "We have been too long separated from this world, and that has allowed the infected to run rampant. Many have grown insane with bloodlust, terrorizing others with fear and pain. We will put a stop to it, and in the process stop them from fighting on behalf of your foe. We will take with us those who wish to learn how to control the beast; you will help cure those who cannot handle their gifts."

Rose and Diana both nodded in agreement, and after arrangements had been made for getting in contact, all the werewolves were riding away. Only Rose and Diana noticed the flash of light as their blue ribbons disappeared and were replaced with golden ones.

* * *

The walk back into the village was spent bringing Constantine up to speed about the war with Voldemort, including all he'd done to make himself immortal, because that was what Diana wanted his advice on the most. The necromantic and demonic arts were what the man specialized in, after all.

They were outside the pub when Constantine put out a hand to stop them. Despite the glare of light from the pub's front window, his features seemed much softer than they had earlier. He also looked less angry and aggressive.

"I'd rather go in and explain things to Wilf myself," Constantine said. "I owe it to Phil." After reaching around in his pocket, he pulled out a silver pendant on a black string. He stared at it for several long moments before holding it out to Rose. "Here, this Triquetra necklace belonged to a priest friend of mine. It's dead useful at keeping demons away, and I think Father Hennessy would be happy knowing that you were using it now. I'm afraid that's all I have to offer against your Dark Lord."

"But I'm not being hunted by a demon," Rose said as she accepted the gift.

Constantine laughed. "If that cunt has split his fuckin' soul as much as you say he has, he sure as hell ain't human anymore." Without another word, he turned and entered the pub, leaving the others alone on the street.

"Will that help?" Remus asked, eyeing the tiny pendant with a great deal of skepticism.

"If Constantine says it will help, then it will help," Diana declared. "As awful of a person as he can be, he doesn't lie about things like that. And he certainly wouldn't give away something that belonged to a friend unless it was for a good cause. He's had far too few friends in his life to treat their memories so casually."

"Then I'll wear it," Rose said, slipping the necklace over her head. She felt a wave of hope and courage wash over her.

* * *

At that same moment in Wiltshire, Voldemort collapsed to his knees, clawing at his head in pain as a massive headache rocked him. He spent the rest of the night in too much pain to do more than curl up in a ball. It was only when dawn finally broke that he felt strong enough to call for a pain relieving potion — several, in fact — and then he spent all of the following day secluded in a darkened library as he worked to determine what had been happening to him.

Voldemort gently massaged his temples and wished that he could take another potion as the pain continued to shoot through his skull. He remembered one of the women who worked in Wool's Orphanage complaining about migraine headaches that she'd regularly get, and he idly wondered if perhaps this was what she'd been talking about.

He cursed the Potter brat for what must have been the millionth time that day alone. He needed to be out there, guiding his servants, not hiding away by himself on the flimsy excuse of needing to do private research. But he couldn't be seen by the others as weak, much less as being harmed by Potter. It was bad enough that she'd beaten him so many times already, but if it were known that she were harming him at a distance — even inadvertently — his image would suffer too much to recover.

And he'd hate to have to kill all of his Death Eaters and start over from scratch.

He looked down once more at the most recent report about Potter. She was being treated worse by the other students because of her perversity, but not enough to noticeably affect his connection with her. He _knew_ she was the source of it all. It had the same quality as the pain he'd experienced when he tried to possess her, and his problems had begun around the time she'd gotten married.

He suspected that it had started because of the emotions connected with her marriage, however much of an abomination it was. That tracked with the pain he'd experienced during the possession when she focused on her feelings for her friends, and it was why he'd ordered Draco to find ways to make her life miserable.

What he couldn't figure out was why it had suddenly gotten worse. Early on he'd simply suffered a bit of discomfort and occasional dizziness, but now he experienced pain on a regular basis! What had changed? Her? Him? Something else? And what happened the night before to incapacitate him with pain?

A hissing nearby drew his attention to the floor, where Nagini was slowly making her way towards him. He frowned as he considered her movements, and it dawned on him that she was in distress as well. He reached down with one hand, and she pressed her head against it, not unlike how a dog might. It was uncharacteristic behavior for a snake of any species, but not for Nagini. She was not only his familiar, she was connected to him as a horcrux as well. As a result, he knew her as well as he knew himself.

Or he was supposed to. The fact that he was having trouble sensing her mood and health was as upsetting as the realization that she was in distress at the same time he was.

"What is it, my sweet?" he hissed in Parseltongue, and he received a noncommittal hissing in response. It was obvious that she was in discomfort, and therefore whatever was going on with Potter was being transmitted through his connection to Nagini. Was it simply because she was his familiar? That would be troublesome, but not a crisis. But what if it was something more?

What if it involved the horcrux directly, somehow? That was unlikely, but not impossible. Soul magic was not well understood in general, and his creation of multiple horcruxes had been completely unprecedented. He was proud of his achievement, even if it was something he couldn't openly brag about, but doing unprecedented things with magic came with an unavoidable price: you couldn't predict all the side-effects.

"I'm sorry, my sweet," he hissed, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. "We will both have to bear this pain for a while longer while I try to find out what is wrong with us." He stroked her head, finding it oddly comforting. "Perhaps having another horcrux at hand would help us understand if it is the horcrux itself that is involved in our distress?" he continued. "But which one?" His anger over Lucius' stupid destruction of his diary flared briefly. "I dare not risk what might happen to you. Of the others, having one of the Lestrange brothers retrieve the cup would be easiest, and it is the one most easily returned to safety once I'm done."

He regarded Nagini for a few moments as he considered this plan. "Not yet, though," he concluded. "It's a great risk, and I'd rather not do that until I've exhausted all other possibilities."

* * *

The Great Hall was filled with murmured conversations as students read and commented on the headline in one of the last issues of the _Daily Prophet_ in February:

 **SCRIMGEOUR REFORMS MINISTRY  
DEATH EATERS CAUGHT AND REMOVED**

According to the article, the Minister of Magic had personally led aurors on a raid through the Ministry itself, locking all of the employees in and interrogating them with veritaserum. Once cleared, people had to give oaths that would prevent any of them from knowingly working on behalf of anyone seeking to violently overthrow the government. The aurors themselves had been the first to be targeted, and by the end of the day the entire Ministry had been cleaned out of not only marked Death Eaters and unmarked supporters of Voldemort, but also employees who'd admitted to a motley assortment of corrupt and criminal practices. They even found a few who had been under the Imperius Curse.

"This is such great news!" Hermione exclaimed. "With the Ministry finally cleaned up, they can start doing some real good. They're certainly bigger than Voldemort and his followers, and they know a lot more about how he operates than they did last time."

"Maybe," Rose said.

"You don't sound enthusiastic," Neville observed.

Rose shrugged. "It's good news, I'm just not sure how much good will be accomplished."

"Don't you trust Scrimgeour?" Hermione asked.

"I guess he's trustworthy, at least when it comes to his admitted goals," Rose said. "I mean, I don't think he's secretly a Death Eater or anything like that. I simply don't know how well he'll be able to live up to his promises."

"They don't say how many officials and employees were caught," Ron said as he looked over the article again.

"So?" Ginny asked.

"It would tell us how big of a problem they had, for one thing," Ron answered. "For another, it would give us an idea of how weak the Ministry is now. No matter how good you are, it's tough to win a game if you don't have enough pieces on the board."

Hermione frowned and nodded her head. "That's right. If they lost twenty percent of the Ministry, or even just twenty percent of the DMLE, they won't be nearly so effective in fighting Voldemort."

"That's true," Rose agreed, scowling now. "I wonder if that's why they left that information out?"

"It's possible," Hermione admitted, "though that would be the most pessimistic interpretation. You told us he said that the _Daily Prophet_ is run by Fudge supporters. They'd want to make Scrimgeour look bad, wouldn't they? If so, then wouldn't they avoid saying that the numbers of people caught were small?"

"Who knows what sort of agenda they might have," Neville said. "They may not approve of Scrimgeour, but that doesn't mean they'll make it easier for Death Eaters."

"I'm sure they're going to ask me to make some sort of statement or something," Rose said, sagging a bit in her seat. "That was part of the deal with Scrimgeour. What am I supposed to tell them?'

"'Better a weaker Ministry without all the criminals than a stronger Ministry that's full of them'?" Ron suggested.

Rose snorted. "I'm sure _that_ would go over well. But I guess I'll come up with something." After a couple more minutes of reading, she added, "You know what else is missing? Anything about Fudge. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, if the paper is owned by his friends."

Ron looked around for a moment, then leaned in to whisper, "Dad heard from someone in the Order that he was put under house arrest. He's being investigated, and it doesn't look good for him."

"Good," Hermione said. "Hopefully they find something."

"What about Percy?" Rose asked. "Have your parents heard about him?"

Ginny shook her head. "I wrote mum and dad about what you said, but they haven't heard anything from him. We don't even know if he's still at the Ministry."

Silence fell around the table as they returned to their breakfasts and their reading. Suddenly Ron's head came up, his eyes wide. "Hey, look!" he nearly shouted, pointing at a small article on one of the last pages. The type was so small that they could barely read it.

 **SIRIUS BLACK POSTHUMOUSLY EXONERATED**

 _According to the Ministry of Magic, Sirius Black was never given a trial before being sent to Azkaban in 1981 by a group of Ministry officials who never even interviewed him. A trial should have been held later, but it never took place. A Ministry clerk who didn't want to be identified expressed his regret for the unfortunate mix up and reported that his name has been posthumously cleared of all charges._

It was the absolute minimal description of events, but it was exactly what Rose had wanted.

"That's such fantastic news!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling Rose into a tight, sideways hug.

For her part, Rose couldn't stop staring at the article, slack-jawed in disbelief. "I wasn't sure they'd do it. After what Scrimgeour said, I doubted that he'd manage this, even if he sincerely intended to try. And so soon, too!" Suddenly a light came into her eyes, and she looked around to find Luna, who was eating at the Ravenclaw table. She grinned.

"I know that look," Neville said. "Whatever you have planned, they're not going to like it, are they?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rose said primly, pushing aside the paper to return to her breakfast.

"I wonder what Diana thinks about this?" Hermione asked.

Rose's friends all looked up at the head table, then looked back at Rose when they realized that Diana wasn't there. "She left the castle early this morning," she explained. "She got some sort of message about a meeting, but she wouldn't tell me about it. Not yet."

* * *

"We have decided. The decision was not unanimous," Magorian announced, his eyes flicking towards a cluster of centaurs watching the gathering with sullen expressions, "but the time is ripe for change. It helped that Neptune has come into ascendance recently. Many see it as a harbinger of change, though of course change is not always good." Magorian sighed. "And change has been the subject of most of our debates. Whether we should change, and who we really are. In the end, enough of us agreed that some change is good, and that who we have been in the past should not always dictate who we should be in the future."

Diana nodded, pleased to be finally getting the answer she'd been hoping for. She couldn't help but notice that he was sporting several large bruises that looked fresh, and wondered how vigorous the debate had been. "Thank you. I'm sure you expected to move forward immediately, but—"

"Not at all," Magorian interrupted. "We know that you have other, more pressing responsibilities. We're willing to delay formal discussions until those responsibilities are past. For now, it will be enough to informally agree to be friends. You and your kind will be permitted safe passage through our territory whenever you wish."

"And my wife?"

"She is included as well, naturally," the large centaur said with a nod.

"And what about the coming war? Or perhaps I should say, when the existing war heats up?" Diana asked. "Hogwarts is currently safe, but that won't last."

Magorian's brow furrowed, and Diana could tell that he was wording his response carefully. "That was the question which produced the most vigorous differences of opinion within our herd. There is a consensus, if barely, that we should not involve ourselves in the affairs of wizards and witches. Their fate is their own to make, not ours to decide."

Diana nodded again. Though disappointed, she couldn't truly claim to be surprised. "I'm sure that many among you view that as the most logical decision. I wonder, though, if you honestly believe that Voldemort will agree?"

"What do you mean?" Magorian asked.

"You want to live in peace and independently, as do so many others, but will Voldemort allow you to do so?" Diana asked, speaking a bit more loudly now. "Can you expect him to look upon you with enough respect to leave you to yourselves?"

"As if any witches or wizards respected us!" someone shouted, causing Magorian to turn and shoot a piercing look at the speaker.

"Indeed," Diana said agreeably, surprising many, "but as little as they seem to respect you, how many wish to actively control, suppress, or kill you? Some do, certainly, but as bigoted as so many of them are, don't most merely wish to ignore you? To pretend that you don't exist?"

Magorian inclined his head slightly. "Although few witches or wizards treat us with the respect we deserve, few also would likely seek to eliminate us. As much as we dislike the limitations imposed on us by their bigotry, within those limits, most would leave us be."

"Being constrained to choose the lesser of two evils is never easy," Diana said, "but when such a choice does appear, it makes little sense to choose the greater evil simply out of spite for the lesser."

"Wise words," Magorian said, his expression lightening. "We will return to our... debates over the matter. I cannot promise you anything except that we will take your concerns seriously."

Diana was about to withdraw when something occurred to her. "I imagine that many in your herd are concerned about the potential risks. Challenging witches and wizards — especially the Death Eaters — would be dangerous."

"We are not cowards!" Magorian hissed, and the other centaurs stamped their hooves angrily.

"No, of course not! But even the bravest warrior must consider the costs of their choices." Magorian nodded grudgingly. "What if there was a way to lower the potential costs of a risky choice? Perhaps as a precursor to a formal treaty?"

* * *

In Wiltshire, Voldemort decided to start changing the rules of the game entirely.

The guard assigned to his study screamed silently as the Dark Lord pressed his wand into the wizard's Dark Mark, summoning his inner circle. Once he was certain that they'd gotten the message, he returned to that morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_. His outrage renewed, he proceeded to cast blasting hexes at the walls, destroying finely crafted decorations and woodwork that had been a part of Malfoy Manor for generations. It wasn't long before he was once more holding his head in pain.

By the time his inner circle arrived, he'd managed to get himself under control and was even able to refrain from wincing in pain, but he was no less furious. Everyone saw the extensive damage that had been done to the room, and they all wisely kept quiet as they took their seats at the long meeting table.

"I trust you have all read this? _"_ he hissed, nearly slipping into Parseltongue as he tossed the paper onto the table. He fixed them all with a harsh glare as they nodded. "This will not stand!" he raged, slamming his open hand on the table. The Death Eaters all jumped in surprise, unused to their Lord showing such emotion openly. "Your brothers and sisters now sit incarcerated. Our plans for taking over the Ministry are **ruined**."

"M-my Lord, I'm sure we can free them..." Travers said, but he stopped as soon as Voldemort's eyes met his.

"If they are transferred to Azkaban, then perhaps we will try. But if they remain in the holding cells deep under the Ministry, then I'm afraid that we must leave them to their fate."

"My Lord?" Nott asked.

"If I can't have the Ministry, then no one will!"

"You mean to deny your enemies the resources they need to prosecute their resistance to your rightful rule," Rookwood surmised, and Voldemort smiled for the first time since they'd entered the room.

"Exactly. And you will be tasked with planning the attack."

"How far do you wish me to go, and what weapons would you have me use?" Rookwood asked.

"I wish the Ministry to be destroyed — utterly," Voldemort answered. "All or most dead, and the resources within it a total loss. They have chosen not to submit to me, and they must pay the price." Rookwood nodded. "The weapons will be provided to you by McNair."

"My Lord?" McNair asked.

"How soon before the giants you recruited will arrive in Britain?"

McNair's eyes widened in understanding. "Early April, at the soonest, but I may be able to hurry that—"

"And what of your efforts to infiltrate the island dragon sanctuary off Gwynedd?"

McNair averted his eyes this time. "N-not so well, my Lord. Dragon handlers are notoriously apolitical, and few are susceptible to the Imperius Curse."

Voldemort sneered at his underling before turning to Rookwood. "I want you to help with that. I need access to the dragons by mid-April at the latest." He then shifted his gaze farther down the table. "Nott, I want our people in the Wizengamot to do what's necessary to call for a special meeting at the end of April. They won't be attending, of course."

"Won't that expose them, my Lord?" Nott asked.

"After that meeting is over, there won't be anyone left for them to be exposed to!" Everyone cheered as they were expected to do, then stopped when Voldemort raised his hand. "In the meantime, someone fetch Narcissa. I wish to interrogate her about what her son has to say regarding what's been going on with Rose Potter in Hogwarts."

* * *

 **A/N:** Events in this chapter were adapted from Hellblazer #109, published January, 1997.


	18. Late Bets

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Last Second Savior_ by plums. Harry does something stupidly heroic and gets transported to a galaxy far, far away. He arrives just in time to save the life of a blue-skinned, Twi'lek Jedi Knight, thus changing the course of history. I prefer to recommend finished stories, but this one is really good and while it hasn't been updated in a while, it also hasn't been abandoned.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Late Bets**

 **March, 1996. Hogwarts.**

"They're doing a lot better than I would have expected," Mala observed. "It's only been a month and a half, and Hermione is already rapidly catching up to Rose."

Diana nodded absently before calling out, "Rose, keep your left shoulder higher!" Out on the practice floor, Rose grumbled but hefted the shield a bit as she raised her shoulder to better protect herself from Hermione's sword strikes. "Hermione isn't fond of exercise and physical activity, but once she sets her mind to something, there's little that can slow her down. It helps that we moved to training every day, even though that does make it harder for them to find the time to train their friends."

With Mala and Diana watching, Rose and Hermione continued to move back and forth, trading blows with wooden swords when necessary and dodging when possible. They weren't anywhere close to having the speed and power of Amazons, but they were still far better than any witch or wizard.

"There's something I've been meaning to bring up, though I haven't been sure how to go about it," Mala said after a few more minutes. Diana hummed questioningly, not taking her eyes off the two witches. "It's about Rose and Hermione. They seem to spend an awful lot of time together."

"Of course they do," Diana said. "Aside from how close they are, they do have most of the same classes together. It's my understanding that they've been practically inseparable since their first year here."

"Doesn't it bother you, though?"

"Not at all," Diana answered with a slight smile. "No more than Rose is bothered by how much time you and I spend together patrolling and working on castle defenses. There are many days I spend more time with you than with her."

Mala's eyes widened slightly. "You told her about our history, then? She wasn't troubled?"

Diana shrugged. "We don't have any secrets from each other. And no, she wasn't troubled at all — on the contrary, she's happy that I have the chance to spend time with someone important to me. She'd been feeling bad that I was separated not only from all my fellow Amazons, but also the friends I'd made in Patriarch's World."

"That's surprising," Mala said slowly. "From what I've heard, I would have expected most women in Patriarch's World to be jealous."

"Yes, they would," Diana said, smiling, "but Rose isn't most women. I'm proud of how far she's come in such a short time. It's not only the Amazonian principles of combat that she's taken to so quickly."

Just then, Rose overreached with a thrust of her sword and stumbled, allowing Hermione to spin away — but not before she gave Rose a loud **thwack** on her rear end with the flat of her own sword.

"Oi!"

"That said," Diana added, "Rose does need more work on being graceful."

Mala laughed. "She is special. They both are, in fact. I've been impressed with Hermione."

"That's not a surprise, considering Rose's feelings for her. I got to know her well when she was helping me with the magic necessary to work on castle defenses."

Neither of them noticed Rose's grin, nor that she'd slipped her wand into her sword hand, holding it tightly against the hilt as she pointed it at Hermione. _"Rictusempra!"_ she incanted softly, and Hermione only barely got her shield up in time to deflect the tickling jinx.

"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's not fair! This is supposed to be sword practice! Spellcasting was yesterday."

Rose laughed as she danced around her best friend. "All's fair in love and war!" she retorted. _"_ _ **Tarantallegra!**_ _"_

"Oh, I am so going to get you, Potter!" Hermione growled as she dodged to the side. At the same time, she was also fumbling with her wand in an effort to get it positioned like Rose's.

"In your dreams, Granger!" Rose said, still laughing. _"_ _ **Petrificus Totalus!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Flipendo!**_ _"_ Hermione incanted, finally having her wand in place. The fight increased in intensity, each witch alternately using their sword and their wand. Neither knew which the other would use until it happened, so they found it a lot harder to defend themselves.

 _"_ _ **Furnunculus!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Stupefy!**_ _"_

 **Thwack!**

"Do you think we should stop them?" Mala asked after several minutes. "Some of those spells are dangerous." When Diana didn't answer, she turned to look at her and was surprised to see her grinning from ear to ear. "Diana?"

"I've been waiting for this."

"You knew this would happen?"

"Not this exactly, but something like it. Rose has been trying too hard to imitate me in the hope that she could be as skilled a fighter as I am. I had to explain to her that she needed to focus on what she was good at and develop her own style."

 _"_ _ **Reducto!**_ _"_

 **Thwack!**

 _"_ _ **Ducklifors!**_ _"_

"She's certainly done that," Mala muttered. "You're not worried about someone getting injured?"

"No, they can't hurt each other. Not seriously, at least."

Mala raised an eyebrow. "Can I assume, then, that you intend to invite Hermione to come with us to Themyscira when we return?"

Diana nodded. "Hermione doesn't have any family here anymore, and it would be cruel to separate her from Rose."

"It will be nice to have both of them there. I think they'll manage to fit in, but at the same time there's something refreshing about them and how they view things."

 **Thwack!**

 _"_ _ **Incarcerous!**_ _"_

 **Thwack!**

 _"_ _ **Colloshoo!**_ _"_

"I agree. A bit of new blood will invigorate our community, and the addition of their magic will certainly have benefits. As much as I love our people, I can't help but feel that we've isolated ourselves for far too long. We're not perfect, but we'll never improve without challenges and outside influences."

Mala's smile turned into a frown. "This won't anger the goddesses who protect us, will it? It was they who decreed that we isolate ourselves on Themyscira, after all."

"Quite the opposite, actually," Diana assured her. "When I was injured by a curse back in November, I was visited by the goddess Iaso. She informed me that Aphrodite and Dionysus were responsible for ensuring that I met Rose. While she didn't say it in so many words, I got the impression that it wasn't simply because they thought I should be helping her here to fulfill the prophecy about her. I think that they intended for her to help and change me. And that would mean changing the Amazons as well, even if only a little bit."

"If that's the case, then our cause here is even more blessed than I thought."

 _"_ _ **Steleus!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Melofors!**_ _"_

 **Thwack!**

 _"_ _ **Titillando!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Locomotor Wibbly!**_ _"_

"And more important. It's not just about Rose and her fate, but perhaps the future of the Amazons as well. Oh, that reminds me, Hedwig brought a response from my mother this morning." Diana pulled a piece of parchment out of her robe and passed it over.

"When are you going to get your own owl?" Mala teased as she unfolded the letter and began to read.

Diana shrugged. "No need. Hedwig has proven to be sufficient, and she seems to enjoy the travel. To be honest, though, I think my mother spoils her." When Mala didn't reply, Diana turned to look at her. "Will this be a problem?"

"How? When?" Mala demanded.

"Last month. It hasn't been easy — they aren't exactly friendly."

"I can't believe the queen agreed to this."

"She probably wouldn't have if it had been anyone but them. Will you have time?"

Mala paused for a moment to think. "It will take me at least a week to get there and back, especially with such a large amount of cargo, but it can be done. Will you be able to handle those two by yourself?"

"I'll manage," Diana answered with a smile.

Eventually she called a halt to the sparring, and both of the witches sagged in relief. As much as they'd obviously been enjoying the fight, using both physical and magical attacks had been draining. After several moments of heavy breathing, they fell against each other in what was probably intended to be an embrace, but didn't quite rise to that level due to how tired they were.

Mala and Diana quickly came up from behind and joined them, adding their own emotions in a way that helped the two exhausted witches feel better.

* * *

Diana was distracted.

She was thinking about the training with Mala, Rose, and Hermione. Yet she wasn't just marveling at how much progress the two young witches were making, nor was she considering new challenges that could be incorporated into their regimen. No, she was thinking about how much she enjoyed the daily sessions — even above the thrill of testing herself against another which every Amazon experienced.

It was the sheer joy of spending so much time with the other three which had been occupying her mind more and more. As the possessor of the lasso of truth, it wasn't something she could simply ignore.

So she was distracted.

That's why she never noticed the heavily-cloaked presence that had been lurking in the darkened alcove, nor did she notice when it stepped out behind her.

It was only when the first spell was cast that she realized something was wrong. She wasn't able to dodge fast enough to prevent the cutting curse from opening her shoulder, though that was better than slicing through her neck, which was where the curse had been aimed.

She'd barely gotten to her feet before two more curses came her way, and she winced when her injured shoulder slammed into the wall. Unprepared for the attack, she didn't give herself time to think or plan. Had she done so, she might have held back slightly, realizing that it was probably a student rather than an intruder from the outside.

Instead, she allowed her training and instincts to take over. One of the goblin-made short swords flashed into her hand as she spun out of the way of a green curse, and she thought she heard the incantation _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_

In response, she slashed with her sword at the point where the curse seemed to have materialized out of thin air, expecting to hit an invisible attacker. A scream of pain announced her success, and she kicked out with one foot, impacting a body which she heard fly along the corridor before hitting the far wall.

At her feet lay part of a forearm and hand, and she felt a sinking feeling when she saw the pale skin of the fingers still clutched around the wand. Diana sprinted to the end of the corridor and knelt next to where a pool of blood was growing at the base of the wall. Reaching out, she grasped a bit of cloth and pulled away the invisibility cloak, revealing a student who was slowly becoming discernible as his additional disillusionment spell faded.

"Draco Malfoy!" she said grimly, pulling out her lasso and tying it around his arm as a tourniquet. "I had hoped that you wouldn't be this stupid, but clearly the Headmaster and I overestimated you."

Once she confirmed that the bleeding had slowed enough to move him, she lifted him as easily as if he were an infant. Snatching up his severed arm, she sprinted for the hospital wing.

* * *

"Madam Pomfrey!" Diana called out as she pushed through the door. "Madam Pomfrey!"

"What's going on?" the healer asked as she came out of her quarters, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Oh, my! Put him on this bed!" She immediately began casting diagnostic charms on him. "What happened to him? How did he get injured?"

"He attacked me from behind while I was patrolling. He was invisible, so I didn't see who it was, and his arm was severed when I defended myself."

"What did you use?" Pomfrey asked, frowning as she cast charms on the severed forearm which Diana had placed in the next bed.

"A goblin-made sword. Do you need to see it?"

Pomfrey shook her head. "If it was goblin made, I'm not sure I'll be able to reattach the arm. Many of them are imbued with special magic that prevents easy healing of wounds, especially when wizarding medical charms are used."

"I need to tell the Headmaster," Diana said. "I'll also need to contact the DMLE about this."

"Albus already knows," Pomfrey said as she grabbed several potion bottles. "The wards here alert him whenever someone with a serious injury enters."

"Then he'll be here shortly, I expect," Diana said. "I'll have him call the DMLE."

The Headmaster entered the hospital wing a few minutes later. He was dressed, but he didn't look much more awake than Pomfrey had when Diana had roused her. "What happened?" he asked with a frown as he looked down at the pale, unconscious youth.

"Draco Malfoy attacked me from behind," Diana explained. "At least one of the spells he used was the killing curse." Dumbledore closed his eyes and exhaled deeply at that news, then motioned for her to go on. "He was invisible, and I didn't take the time to figure out who it was — not after dodging the killing curse. I struck with my sword in the place I expected would incapacitate and prevent further violence without necessarily killing. Only once he was down could I see him enough to identify him, and I immediately applied a tourniquet."

"You probably saved his life," Pomfrey said without pausing in her ministrations. "Based on how much blood replenisher potion I've had to give him, he would have bled out soon. And he might still have died if you hadn't gotten him here so quickly."

Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you, both of you, for preventing his death. I trust you'll be able to reattach his arm?"

Pomfrey shook her head, satisfied that her patient was stable for the moment and finally turning to face the Headmaster. "She used a goblin blade that prevents reattachment. None of the spells used to reattach or regrow severed limbs will work." When he looked as if he were about to protest, she cut him off. "I've already tried them all," she said shortly.

"We need to contact the DMLE," Diana said.

Dumbledore nodded reluctantly. "I would have preferred to not involve the aurors, but I see little choice in the matter. It pains me to see any young person lost to the darkness like this. He's still a boy, and no boy should have his life ruined before it even gets started."

"That's true," Diana said, "but it's always been up to him to learn from the consequences of his actions. If he doesn't — if he continues to make bad choices — then it's also up to him to learn to live with them. You can't save everyone."

"I can try," Dumbledore insisted, though Diana thought his voice shook slightly. "Regardless, I'll call in the DMLE so they can take care of this."

* * *

The auror investigation was over far more quickly than Diana had expected. Non-magical detectives typically invested a lot of time in examining crime scenes, but the aurors only needed a few minutes to cast detection charms around the scene of the fight. Their interview with her only took as long as it did because they wanted her to list all the previous encounters she'd had with Malfoy. Since they interviewed Dumbledore at the same time, and chose to let Malfoy recover in the hospital wing until the following day, they were gone in less than an hour.

Diana decided that permanently maiming an underaged wizard, no matter how violent the provocation, was more than enough reason to call it a night. It wasn't the first time she'd hurt someone that badly, but doing it to someone so young was unusual, and she wished she could take comfort in talking to her wife about it. Rose was asleep in Gryffindor Tower, however, so Diana returned to her quarters alone.

This left Dumbledore with the unenviable task of informing Professor Snape.

"I take it that she won't be charged?" the Potions professor asked a little bitterly.

"I don't think they've ever charged anyone with a crime for defending themselves against the killing curse," Dumbledore answered. "Not even when they used deadly force themselves, and Mrs. Black did far less than that. Indeed, even if there were some desire to charge her, the fact that she acted so quickly to ensure that Mr. Malfoy survived would all but guarantee her acquittal. And then there's the fact that the current Minister would prefer to keep Mrs. Potter as an ally, something that would be impossible if he charged her wife with any crime in this case."

"His parents will be furious," Snape said. "The Dark Lord... I'm not sure what his reaction will be. Angry, perhaps, at Draco's failure, but then again I doubt he ever expected the boy to succeed. This was at least as much about punishing Lucius and Narcissa as it was about getting to you."

Dumbledore nodded. "So you don't expect him to try to break the lad out from Ministry custody?"

"Unlikely."

"And what about you? Will he ask you to take over the tasks?"

"Possible, but also unlikely," Snape replied. "He didn't trust me with knowledge of what the tasks were, so I doubt he'll suddenly trust me to do them now."

Dumbledore frowned. "Do you think you've been compromised?"

Snape considered that. "I don't think so," he said finally. "I believe this is simply his paranoia, which has been growing worse over the past months."

"So there is still time."

"For me, perhaps, but not for Draco."

"He's made his choices, and he chose to act on behalf of Voldemort, despite how often I and others have tried to get him to choose a different path," Dumbledore said.

Snape snorted and pushed away his untouched glass of firewhiskey. "Sometimes I wonder how much any of us have truly chosen our paths," he muttered as he stalked out of the office.

* * *

Voldemort finished drawing the last rune, then stepped back from the ritual circle to survey his work. He had to refer to his notes to double-check everything, but after another half hour he was satisfied that he'd done it all correctly. It was with great reluctance, though, that he put his notes aside and picked up the small golden cup which would be the focus of the ritual he'd been preparing for the past week.

He couldn't suppress a smile as he came into contact with his horcrux. It was a piece of him, and as such felt wonderful to hold. Even just being in the same room with it gave a boost to his spirits. That wasn't why he was so reluctant to destroy it now, though.

"Immortality," he whispered in the empty room. "Who knew it would come at so high a price?"

Technically, he should have known — not that he would be happy to admit that. The warnings about the side-effects of creating horcruxes had been there, but he hadn't paid them much attention, distracted as he was by the shiny prize of defeating death. Naturally, he hadn't paid much attention to the costs he'd have to pay for reintegrating a piece of his soul later on, either. Who'd ever want to do that?

But that was exactly what he was preparing to do now. Once the Lestrange brothers had brought him Hufflepuff's Cup, he'd spent several days studying it, including at times when his own distress was at its worst. The results were clear that whatever was happening, it was affecting him in his soul. He didn't know why it was happening, though he suspected that it was connected to his rash possession of the Potter bint in the Ministry. That was the first time he'd experienced the harsh, burning pain and weakness that had come to characterize his life.

The best solution he could come up with to protect his soul was to strengthen it. And the only way to strengthen a fractured soul was to repair it — or, in his case, put it back together. His soul could never be whole again, not after Lucius had lost the diary with what presumably contained the largest and least damaged soul piece; but the more pieces he reintegrated into himself, the better off he'd be.

In theory, at least. He did dearly wish that he hadn't killed Lucius, though, because now he was coming up with all new ideas for how he could have made the man's suffering last. Even his son was out of reach. For now.

He placed the cup in the center of one ritual circle before divesting himself of his garments, then sitting in the other, larger circle. The door was locked, he had a large supply of pain potions, and his Death Eaters had all been instructed not to even _think_ about entering the room for another week — the longest he suspected that he'd be unconscious for after the ritual was complete. His books weren't clear on exactly what would happen, only that it would be terrible indeed.

But Lord Voldemort was used to pain.

The clock chimed midnight. If he didn't start before the last chime, he'd have to wait until the next full moon, and that would be intolerable. With practiced precision, he raised his wand and began the long incantation in ancient Egyptian. A sickly green glow emanated from the cup, slowly filling the room.

* * *

It was six days later that Voldemort finally woke, though he almost immediately wished that he hadn't. He was certain that he'd never felt pain quite so extreme before, not even when he'd been disembodied in 1981. In fact, he was certain that he ached in places that didn't exist, which told him that the ritual had gone right: it was his soul that was in pain, not his physical body.

Moreover, the quality of the pain was different. It was mostly the pain of exertion and healing; the burning pain he'd been dealing with was markedly reduced. This told him that the ritual had not merely gone right, but had _worked_.

Of course it had. Everything he did worked.

With great effort, he pulled himself up into a sitting position. The charred spot on the floor where Hufflepuff's cup had been drew his attention first, then so did the damage to the rest of the room. He quickly checked himself to see if he'd been injured as well, and was pleased to discover that he hadn't. _I might actually look a bit better. I certainly feel more like my old self. I hadn't even realized how different I felt before, what I had lost. Who knew that missing pieces of your soul could have such negative effects?_

Standing up, he bit back a cry of rage when he saw that his notes had been mostly destroyed. It would take him days to recreate them! Fortunately it wouldn't delay doing the ritual again, since it could only be done every other full moon, but there were so many other things that he needed to take care of as well. He quickly downed two pain potions before putting on his robe and storming out of the room. He ignored everyone else as he headed for the library, determined to begin immediately before he forgot anything.

His mood softened, however, when he found Nagini waiting for him on the table he always used. "Hello, my sweet," he hissed as he stroked her head. "Yes, the ritual went well — well enough that I'm going to do the rest as soon as I'm able." He paused briefly before adding, "All except you, of course." She held the smallest soul piece, and as such probably would make little difference if reabsorbed. Her value as his familiar was much, much greater.

After a few minutes, he sat at the table and looked at the stack of parchment he'd left behind. On top was a large scroll which he spread out in front of him, revealing a detailed map of London. The location of the Ministry of Magic was marked prominently. "Perhaps I should focus on this first?" Voldemort looked back at Nagini, who hissed as she looked at the map. He reached out and stroked her head again. "Yes, they will pay, my sweet. They will all pay for refusing to submit to me."

* * *

It was near the end of March when Rose and Hermione escorted Luna to an unused classroom, then cast numerous silencing and privacy charms on the door, walls, floor, and ceiling.

"If I didn't know you two so well, I think I'd be quite nervous about now," Luna said, not a hint of fear or even concern in her voice.

"This is a really big deal," Rose said. "I'm going to offer you a major story for the _Quibbler_ , but it comes with conditions."

"Daddy has said he'd publish good stories from me, but he won't go along with anything that compromises his journalistic integrity," Luna said primly. After a moment, she added, "Or that would undermine the search for crumple-horned snorkacks."

Rose smiled. "Neither will be a problem. The condition is simply that you not talk about what you learn here, even if you decide not to write the story."

"Oh, that's fine, then," Luna said, her face brightening. "What's the story?"

Rose looked triumphant. "Sirius Black is still alive," she declared.

"...And?"

"And what?" Rose asked, her smile slipping.

"Well, is that all?"

"Isn't that enough?" Rose retorted. "My godfather escaped from Azkaban, was wanted for murder, faked his death, was exonerated, and is now going to reveal that he's still alive!"

"Yes, I understand. I'm sure you're glad about that, and I'm happy for you, but do you think that will be a story people want to read?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Hermione asked.

Luna shrugged. "Daddy plans on running a big story on the Rotfang conspiracy. He thinks that the people are finally willing to learn the full truth."

Hermione started sputtering and Rose closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Maybe," she began slowly, "maybe this story will help."

"How?" Luna and Hermione asked simultaneously, one in a curious tone and the other in shock.

"My godfather's story is about Ministry cover-ups, after all," Rose explained, and she could see that this sparked Luna's interest. "The Ministry only exonerated Sirius after they thought he was dead, and they may not be happy to learn he's still alive. When people learn this, they will look at the Ministry more skeptically."

Luna started nodding slowly. "And once their tangled web of lies and deceit is exposed for all the world to see, it will be much harder for them to continue hiding everything else they've been doing! We might even be able to discover what they've been doing with heliopaths!"

Hermione just put her head in her hands.

Rose forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Sure, why not?"

"So what do I have to do?" Luna asked, eager now.

"This is a communications mirror," Rose said. "He's got the other one, so you can talk to him. Maybe do an interview — that will make writing the story easier, I'm sure. And letting the public hear him tell his own story in his own words may help make him more sympathetic."

"Let's get started!" Luna said enthusiastically, pulling parchment and a quill out of her bag while Rose set the mirror in a position that would be easy for her to use. Once the connection was made, Luna asked Sirius several basic questions about his childhood, his schooling, and his relationship with James Potter, all of which Sirius answered confidently.

He broke down a little, however, when he had to explain what happened on the night of October 31, 1981, and Hermione had to comfort Rose as she heard the story of Sirius discovering her parents' bodies. He didn't remember much of how he was thrown into Azkaban without a trial, and his years in prison weren't interesting enough to say much about.

Sirius' tale about trying to capture Peter Pettigrew during late 1993 and early 1994 was familiar to them all, though Minister Fudge's insistence on giving him a summary execution clearly caught Luna's interest. Sirius was firm in laying the blame with the previous two administrations, though, and praised Scrimgeour for finally doing the right thing by exonerating him.

"I hope that his handling of my case is the first of many demonstrations of how committed he is to justice," Sirius said, "much as I hope his cleanup of the Ministry is only the beginning of his prosecution of the war against Voldemort."

"Do you plan on helping?" Luna asked. "You were an auror during the first war."

Sirius' face fell. "Unfortunately, no. I'm still recovering from so many years in Azkaban."

"That makes sense. Daddy has theorized that dementors are the source of wrackspurts. He thinks that they're created when dementors experience indigestion from unpalatable memories. That's why Ministry officials have the worst infections — they spend the most time near dementors." Luna nodded sagely as she wrote. It was all Rose could do to keep from laughing, especially when she saw the baffled look on Sirius' face. "And that would also help explain why wrackspurts are driven away by loud, sweaty, kinky sex, given how many happy memories are thereby created."

"Uh, yeah, OK. I guess," Sirius finally said. "There weren't exactly many opportunities for that in Azkaban. Regardless, I'm going to need some time to myself."

"Does this mean you won't be going on tour, either?" Luna asked, looking sad. "Daddy will be so disappointed."

"Tour?"

"A Hobgoblin reunion tour, of course," Luna replied. "I know that lots of people will be looking forward to it once it's revealed that Stubby Boardman has come out of hiding. Daddy especially — he was a roadie for you during your '78-'79 world tour of Northern Wales. I'm sure you'd remember him — he was the one who refused to wear clothing. It's where he met Mummy. She was one of your groupies."

"I'm not sure I—"

"Oh, you don't want that included?" Luna started scratching some things out on her parchment. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. Pity, though. Mummy had some lovely photos of the two of you in your dressing room."

"Uh, thanks..."

"But Daddy is still a big fan, and wouldn't say no to tickets once they go on sale," she whispered, giving him an obvious wink before her face turned sad again. "Unfortunately, Mummy's dead now, otherwise I'm sure she'd be thrilled to be a groupie again. Daddy probably wouldn't even mind, assuming he was allowed to get more photos."

"Oh, uh, I'm... sorry?" Sirius ventured, completely befuddled by this point. Rose and Hermione had been forced to cast silencing charms on each other, they were laughing so hard.

"Do you have any publicity photos I can use?" Luna asked next, nearly giving Sirius mental whiplash by her rapid changes in subject.

"Uh... no..." Sirius said before he was interrupted by someone in the same room with him.

"We'll take care of it!" came a voice from the mirror.

"Who's that?" Luna asked, leaning closer.

Sirius was shoved aside and a pink-haired witch appeared. "My name's not important. We have a wizarding camera here, though, so we'll take some photos. Sirius needs all the positive publicity he can get! Should we send them directly to the _Quibbler?"_

Luna shook her head. "No, send them to me here. It's my responsibility to pick the right photos for my own articles. Just get them to me in the next week. I need to send everything to Daddy by mid-month so he has time to do the layout."

"When will it get published?" Tonks asked.

"The next issue will be published at the end of April."

"Great!" Tonks responded gleefully before her head disappeared.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Sirius muttered under his breath.

"Not at all!" came the cheerful reply.

Rose and Hermione's laughter had stopped by this point and they were looking at each other in trepidation, but there was nothing they could do about it now. The die had been cast.

* * *

 **Late April, 1997. Hogwarts.**

"Sweet Merlin, Morgana, and six pink pixies in a bucket!" Rose croaked as she stared disbelievingly at the cover of the April edition of the _Quibbler_.

 **SIRIUS BLACK EXPOSED!  
** _Read the Godfather of Danger's Tell-All Tale of  
Deception, Dementors, and Debauchery!_

The Betrayal of the Potters, Page 2  
Ministry Malfeasance, Page 4  
Sirius Black Centerfold, Pages 10-13  
Where in the World is Stubby Boardman? Page 6  
The Story of the Hobgoblins, Page 7  
Ministry Cover-Ups: A History, Pages 14-20

None of the text bothered her, at least not too much. No, it was the cover photo which had her brain clawing at the back of her skull in a desperate effort to escape. There was Sirius standing tall and proud, if perhaps also a bit surprised, with his beard neatly trimmed and his hair professionally coiffed. His shirt was open to the waist and the buxom, scantily-clad blonde witch standing next to him was taking full advantage of that fact, running her fingers through his dark chest hair as she twined one leg around him.

She looked like she was purring. And in heat.

"Who is that?" Hermione asked, equally aghast.

Rose pointed to a lock of hair that hung down over the woman's ear. Every so often, for maybe half a second, it turned pink. "I... I think that's Tonks!" she whispered in reply.

Both of them looked up in horror at Luna, who was sitting on the other side of the Gryffindor table, dishing out her breakfast.

"Why?" was all Hermione could ask.

"Why what?" Luna replied calmly as she arranged her french toast and strawberries into a strange pattern on her plate.

"This... this..." Hermione sputtered, gesturing at the cover.

"Don't you like it?" Luna asked, frowning. "I know it's not the best, but I thought I should save the best for the centerfold." She reached out to open the journal, but Rose slammed her hand over top of it.

"No!" she hissed. "I don't... I can't see that! I can't even _think_ about that!" She looked around the Great Hall, wishing that Sirius hadn't insisted on paying to have the _Quibbler_ distributed for free all across wizarding Britain, including in Hogwarts. At every table there were witches and even a few wizards holding up the journal with the centerfold hanging out.

Hanging _way_ out. There were two extra folded pages instead of the traditional one. Rose closed her eyes and shivered at the images that raced unbidden through her mind.

Luna leaned back and shrugged. "Whoever it was that took those photos is good. I think Daddy wants to hire them."

Rose took several deep breaths, desperate to find something else — anything else! — to talk about. Finally she asked, "Luna, I thought you weren't going to include anything about the Hobgoblins."

Now Luna looked contrite. "I didn't, but Daddy is such a fan, he couldn't resist. I'm sorry — I tried to talk him out of it, but the best I could manage is to get him to put all of that material in separate articles. I'm afraid that readers will end up drawing their own conclusions, though. Especially with those publicity photos."

Hermione simply put her head in her hands and shook it slowly.

"I'm not sure if this qualifies as a prank _on_ Sirius or _by_ Sirius," Rose groaned. She was certain that her day couldn't possibly get any worse, and breakfast wasn't even over yet.

That was when the doors to the Great Hall opened and Headmaster Dumbledore strode in. He was followed by a red-faced Minister Scrimgeour. A copy of the _Quibbler_ was clutched in his hand so tightly that even from a distance, Rose could see that his knuckles were white.

"Oh, goody, he got his copy too," Luna said, smiling brightly.

* * *

"Did you know about this?" Scrimgeour demanded once they were all in the room where they'd originally met. He punctuated his words by shaking the offending journal in front of him accusingly. "Did you know he was still alive when you insisted that the Ministry exonerate him?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that," Rose said. She tried to sound confident, but even she could hear the tremor in her voice.

Scrimgeour slammed his fist down on the table, making everyone jump. "You've made both me and the Ministry look like fools!"

Rose narrowed her eyes, reminded of Fudge's behavior. "I don't see how," she answered, her anger giving her a bit more confidence. "At worst, the Ministry might look a little foolish for incorrectly thinking he died in the Department of Mysteries in June, but everyone else thought the same thing, including Headmaster Dumbledore." She looked to the old wizard for confirmation, and he nodded in agreement. "So he fooled _everyone_ into thinking he died. That's hardly something that the wizarding public will single you out for blame over."

"That's not the point!" Scrimgeour shouted.

"Then what _is_ the point?" Rose asked coldly. "Surely you aren't going to tell me that Sirius was only worth exonerating when he was believed to be dead? Surely you aren't going to say that it wasn't the question of truth and justice which motivated you, but rather convenience and the Ministry's image?"

Scrimgeour stilled and eyed Rose carefully before responding, "For someone who says she doesn't like and isn't interested in politics, you're curiously good at it." He paused briefly, then added, "But you play dangerously, and you need to learn to treat your allies with more respect. Based on the evidence I reviewed, I'd have recommended that Black be exonerated even knowing he was alive. That isn't why I'm upset. I'm upset because the Ministry was blindsided by this. Allies need to be told such things if they are going to work together. Had we known, we could have released that information at the same time as the exoneration, presenting it all as a triumph for justice."

Rose felt her face flush, but before she could reply there was a loud banging at the door. The auror guard inside the room opened it, revealing another auror outside who looked exceedingly agitated. Scrimgeour frowned and got up to see what the problem was.

"That doesn't appear to have gone quite as you expected," Dumbledore observed under his breath, and Rose nodded glumly. She looked to Diana for guidance, but her wife was digging inside her robe. After a moment, she pulled out a metal device that was beeping softly.

"What is that?" Dumbledore asked.

"My Justice League communicator. I'd forgotten that I was even still carrying it. It's signalling a Level 2 emergency."

"I assume that's serious?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward.

"Level 1 is only used for something that threatens to destroy the planet, so yes," Diana responded.

Rose paled. "Are you going to answer it?"

Diana hesitated. "I'm not sure that I'm even one of them anymore. My life is here now. My responsibilities are here."

Rose put her hand over Diana's, preventing her from returning the communicator to her robe. "You should answer it. And you should help, if you can. It doesn't matter what they think of you. What matters is what you can do to help save lives."

Diana smiled with her eyes as she got up and went to the far side of the classroom.

"Do you think I'm in trouble?" Rose asked. She gestured with her head towards the Minister, who was in a heated discussion with the aurors.

"I am uncertain," Dumbledore admitted. "He will be less favorably inclined towards you now, that much I can say for sure. He has not become your enemy, but he is much less of a friend than he was or might have become. You have used up a great deal of political capital with him, and unnecessarily, as it turns out."

"Maybe," Rose replied. "But given how untrustworthy the Ministry has been in the past, I couldn't take the chance that they would act like he said they would. He might be Minister, but even he admitted he wasn't a dictator. This was their test. This was my chance to see how they would behave."

Dumbledore regarded her seriously. "Yes, that is true. And in spite of Minister Scrimgeour's intentions, there are many others in the Ministry who were heavily invested in the idea of Sirius being guilty — perhaps too many for him to have been exonerated, if it had been known that he was still alive." He paused for a moment before adding, "Sometimes, politics is distressingly similar to gambling. You take a chance and hope that the payoff is better than it would have been had you placed your bets differently. You have no way of knowing if withholding that information from the Minister was the best course of action or not. All you can do is live with the consequences and try to learn what you can from them."

Rose nodded. She had made the choice that she thought would give her godfather his best chance at freedom, and it had worked. She was determined to not regret it. It was something she'd have paid almost any price for, and she wasn't going to lose sleep over what might have happened had she chosen differently.

"Headmaster, there's trouble at the Ministry." Scrimgeour announced when he returned to them.

"What sort of trouble?"

"The messages we're getting are garbled, but according to the latest from Bones, there are dragons in the sky over London, attacking everything in sight. Half the city seems to be in flames. And on top of that, giants are trying to destroy the Ministry itself."

"Are you certain?" Dumbledore asked as he rose to his feet.

"We can't be certain of anything right now," Scrimgeour said. "The Ministry was cut off before Bones could tell us everything. According to her, she's already informed the muggle Prime Minister that we are unable to fulfil our obligations to protect the muggle population from magical threats and that the muggle government is on its own. John Major evidently wished her luck and said he'd make other arrangements, though I don't see how the muggle police will do much good."

Dumbledore shot a quick look at Diana, who was still speaking into her communicator, before turning back to Scrimgeour. "Is there anything we can do?"

"I don't suppose you'd come with us to help?" he asked. "There's a special Wizengamot session today, so with all the extra security, practically the entire Ministry is currently trapped underground with no way out. The floo is cut off and wards have been erected. We'll need every wand outside the building that we can get."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The only way for everyone to be trapped in the Ministry like that is through sabotage, something no giant would be able to accomplish."

"Voldemort," Scrimgeour said with a nod. "That was my thought, too."

"If he's moving like that against the Ministry, I'll need to stay here in case he attacks the school."

"Dammit, you're right," he replied, grimacing. "I'll just take my auror guard, then." He reached out and shook Dumbledore's hand. "Whatever happens, it's been an honor to work with you." He looked at Rose for a half second before giving her a curt nod, then he hurried out the door.

"Headmaster?" Diana said as she approached him, holding up her communicator. "I know who the Prime Minister called."

Dumbledore nodded. "I suspected as much. You'll be leaving to join them, I take it?"

"I have to. Even if this weren't connected to your magical world, this is too big. There's an all-hands alert across the planet, but other crises are preventing much support from coming in."

"I agree completely. I don't think it's going too far to say that someone as powerful as you might mean the difference between saving and losing London, never mind the Ministry of Magic."

"Do you need me to do anything for the castle's defenses before I leave?" Diana asked.

"No, you've already done a fine job. If Hogwarts is attacked, your efforts will go a long way towards preventing loss of life, even without your direct presence. And of course we also have your friend Mala as well."

"Then I'll leave immediately—"

"I'm coming too!" Rose blurted out, and the other two turned to stare at her.

Diana frowned. "Rose, this is a Level 2 emergency. You're hardly prepared—"

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to hold me back — to keep me from standing beside you," Rose interrupted. Diana's expression seemed to waver a bit, but she didn't look convinced. Rose swallowed hard and tried again. "Look, I know I'm not as good in a fight as you, but of the two of us, I'm the only one who has faced a dragon before. London is under attack by magical threats, which means you need me for information if nothing else. Even if that's all I can contribute... I want to help."

Something in Rose's words seemed to settle the matter for Diana, because after a brief hesitation, she nodded once. Dumbledore drew in a breath to protest, but she locked her eyes on his. "I believe we discussed eventualities such as this, Headmaster," she said meaningfully.

"I don't recall that rampaging giants and dragons were part of that discussion." His tone was mild, but worry was etched in the lines of his face.

Diana tilted her head slightly, conceding the point. "I have to admit, they wouldn't have been my first choice either, but sometimes you have to play the hand you're dealt." She looked over at her wife. "Besides, Rose is right. If I am to be the difference between saving and losing London, it may very well be because of what she can tell me about the enemies we're facing. The Justice League has little knowledge about the dangers of your world, and I haven't taken the time to study such creatures."

Slowly, reluctantly, Dumbledore nodded. He regarded them both somberly for a moment. "I'll say goodbye and good luck to you now, since I'll be going to my office, where I'll need to call an emergency staff meeting. We'll probably have to cancel classes as well." His eyes were sad when he looked at Rose one last time before he left.

Rose turned to Diana, fear and excitement warring on her face. "So, how do we get to London?"


	19. Luck Be a Lady

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Not Even a First Chance!_ , by senawario. Yet another story in which Harry is sent back in time after dying and failing to get to together with Hermione. This one manages to be different, though, because Harry refuses to go back as himself. He wants Harry to grow up as normally as possible. Instead, he insists on being sent back as... Dobby! The Death Eaters won't know what hit them.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 19 - Luck Be a Lady**

 **April, 1997. London.**

"Hera protect us!" Diana gasped as they approached London. Thick, black smoke from numerous fires blanketed the entire area, making it difficult to see, but the devastation was widespread. The remains of a large armored column, now just a collection of burning metal hulks, was visible along the M4 leading into what was left of Heathrow. The London Eye was a pile of twisted scrap metal in the middle of the Thames, and there was a smoking crater where Westminster once stood.

And of course, there was no missing the dozen dragons in the sky, locked in combat with a smaller number of costumed superheroes.

"Are you still sure that you want to do this?" Diana asked.

Rose set her jaw and nodded. "Like I said, I want to help, even if there's not much I can do directly. Besides, you needed all the information I gave you on the way about their weaknesses."

"That will prove useful, I'm sure," Diana agreed as she started circling.

"There!" Rose pointed to where a group of giants battered the ground. Diana nodded and made for a nearby rooftop.

"Your old friends have ignored the giants entirely," Rose said as Diana landed and set her down. In the sky above, Superman was using his heat vision against one dragon, but it was having no effect. The Green Lantern managed to capture one in a bubble of energy and fling it away, but the dragon's magic prevented it from tumbling far before it returned.

"I'm sure they think the dragons are the biggest threat," Diana said. "None of them have any idea that the Ministry is here, with hundreds of people in danger." She turned to Rose. "I need to help them first. I at least need to let them know about the dragons' weaknesses that you told me about. If I can make any headway, I'll bring help for you against the giants." She grabbed Rose around her waist and bent down, giving her a searing kiss that lasted quite a bit longer than it should have.

"Watch your back," Rose whispered, following Diana with her eyes as she headed for where two dragons were fighting over Superman like dogs working over an old bone. She then turned back to look down at where a half dozen raging giants were pummeling the ground in an apparent attempt to collapse the Ministry in on itself. Rubble and smashed vehicles were everywhere; smoke was rising from nearby buildings. The noise was absolutely deafening. Observing the carnage, her mind registered its strenuous protest at the idea of trying to take them all on by herself, and her wobbly knees seemed to be in full agreement.

As she looked around to see if there were any aurors trying to counter the giants, her attention was drawn down the street to where several black-robed figures surrounded a smaller number of bodies on the ground. One of them wore a set of purple robes that she was sure belonged to Minister Scrimgeour.

 _This_ was a threat that was more her size. Without hesitation, she pulled out her broom, unshrank it, and dove towards the enemy.

 _"_ _ **Confringo!**_ _"_

* * *

"Diana, what are you doing here?" Superman asked. He'd just punched one of the dragons, sending it flying away, though he looked far worse off himself: his outfit was scorched, his cape was in tatters, and he was even bleeding from cuts and abrasions.

"I got the emergency signal and came to help," Diana answered with a frown. "I wasn't sure if I'd be welcome, but—"

"We could definitely use the assistance," Superman admitted. "Nothing we've done has had much of an effect on these creatures. Manhunter, Aquaman, Flash, and Plastic Man are leading the efforts to help the civilians below, but we keep losing ground."

"Well, for one thing, heat reinvigorates them, so don't use your heat vision."

Superman grimaced. "Yeah, I figured that out myself."

"You need to use the cold. Dragons are weakest in their eyes and mouth, and they are most susceptible to the cold."

"Dragons? That's what they are?" Superman asked, dumbfounded. "We thought they had to be aliens of some sort!"

Diana shook her head. "No, they're plain, old-fashioned dragons from Earth. They're magical, that's why you're having so much trouble with them. Where's Captain Marvel? His powers are magical in origin, so he'd be able to help the most, aside from me."

"He's dealing with Black Adam, so you're our only source of magical power right now." After a moment, he nodded once and put his hand up to the tiny communicator earpiece that all members of the JLA wore when working a crisis. "I have a plan. Hal, Kara, can you hear me? I've got an idea for how to stop these things, but we're going to have to do it one at a time. Hawkman, Ray, do what you can to keep the others busy. Plastic Man and Flash, keep trying to deal with the fallout on the ground. Hal, Kara, Diana, and I will start putting them down. Has anyone seen Bruce yet?"

"Bruce is here too?" Diana asked.

"There was a report that the Penguin was in Paris to rob the Louvre, and he was investigating," Superman said as he looked around for the nearest dragon. "I'm surprised he isn't already here."

"Diana! I wasn't sure if you'd show up, but it's good to see you!" Power Girl said enthusiastically when she and Green Lantern swooped in. She sounded much happier than Superman had.

"What's the plan?" Hal asked.

"Power Girl and I will use our freezing breath right where they're weakest, in their faces," Superman explained. "Hal, we'll need you to grab ahold and immobilize them long enough for us to cool down their heads until they fall unconscious. Diana, if you can, use your lasso to close their jaws while we freeze them, then take their bodies to the ground so Hal can move to the next one as quickly as possible."

Diana nodded. It was a good plan. It would take time for them to catch and immobilize every dragon individually, but it would work.

It also meant that it would be a while before she could get back to Rose.

* * *

 _"_ _ **Confringo!**_ _"_

The explosive blasting hex hit the ground behind the Death Eaters, peppering them with concrete even as it sent them tumbling. It didn't put any of them out of action permanently, but it did give her time to leap off her broom and check the Minister.

"Potter?" he croaked.

"Stay still," she hissed before quickly casting Reductor Curses at the two Death Eaters who were already up on their knees. From what she could tell, none of his aurors looked like they'd survived whatever had happened.

"It's that Potter brat!" one of them exclaimed. "Get her!"

 _"_ _ **Protego!**_ _"_ she incanted before rolling and dodging three more spells. Four against one were poor odds, and that was only going to get worse when the other two managed to get back up again. She wouldn't be able to dodge their curses forever, nor could she run away. She didn't dare leave the Minister with them.

She needed a spell that could even the odds a bit. Steeling herself, she shouted, _"_ _ **Sectumsempra!**_ _"_ The nearest Death Eater screamed as blood sprayed out from multiple wounds all over his body.

 _For enemies indeed_ , she thought, feeling slightly queasy at the thought of what she'd done. Using it against Bellatrix had been one thing, especially when the spell barely clipped her; hitting someone full-on was much, much nastier.

 _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_ The green killing curse was followed up by several more nasty looking spells, reminding Rose that there were far worse things than a few cuts, even if they did look ugly.

"The Dark Lord wants her alive, you fools!"

"Look at what she did to Rowle!"

"Portkey him out of here if you care that much, but we need Potter alive!"

One of the Death Eaters did exactly that, reducing Rose's odds to a mere four to one again.

"Give it up, Potter! You can't hold us off forever!"

He was right, and she knew it, but that didn't mean she was going to give up.

 _"_ _ **Confringo!"**_ she cried again. This time the Death Eaters had time to shield themselves, allowing them to retaliate almost immediately. Even worse, they were starting to counter her dodging tactics. Four well-aimed spells boxed her in, preventing her from evading them all. A cutting curse of some sort sliced open her cheek and took off a hunk of hair while a bludgeoning hex clipped her hip, sending her flying.

 _"_ _ **Incendio!**_ _"_

Rose winced at the expected fire, then realized that it hadn't been aimed at her.

It was Scrimgeour! He was still on the ground, forgotten by the others, but he'd gathered together enough strength to engulf the two closest Death Eaters in flames.

Rose took advantage of the distraction. _"_ _ **Accio Rubble!**_ _"_ Several bludger-sized chunks of concrete flew towards her, slamming into the Death Eaters who were in the way and putting them all down.

As quickly as she could — which wasn't nearly as quickly as she wanted — Rose struggled to her feet and limped over to Scrimgeour. "Minister?" she asked, leaning over him to get another look at how he was doing.

"That was foolish of you, Potter," he gasped.

She was trying to come up with a witty response when his eyes when comically wide. She reacted almost instantly, diving to the side and rolling to come up facing the new threat. As the dark, cloaked figure swooped to the ground, she shouted, _"_ _ **Bombarda!**_ _"_

Whoever it was dodged nimbly to the side, surprising Rose — she'd never seen any Death Eater move like that.

 _"_ _ **Reducto! Reducto! Confringo!**_ _"_

 _Then again_ , she thought, _I've never seen a Death Eater with a black mask instead of a white one. Maybe he's something new? A new inner circle member, possibly? He's good at avoiding spells, but I'll bet he's vulnerable to the moves Diana has been teaching me. I wish now that I'd brought a sword — I'm still not very good when it comes to hand-to-hand._

Rose had been practicing Amazon fighting tactics for months, but she was still a relative amateur, and this was her first time using those skills in actual combat.

The black-clad Death Eater raised his arm and Rose immediately rolled to the side. _Did he just throw something at me?_ She was even more shocked when he closed the distance between them and began to physically engage her, throwing punches and kicks that she was only barely avoiding.

"Echephyle's Defense," she murmured to herself as she rolled backward, incanting _"_ _ **Reducto!"**_ as she stood upright again, forcing the man to dodge himself. "Prothoe's Roll," she whispered as she rolled forward, determined to come up underneath his guard and curse him at a distance that was far too close to dodge.

"Stop!" he exclaimed, surprising her once again when she realized that he was several feet away from where he was supposed to be, holding up his hands in a non-threatening stance.

"Surrendering, Death Eater?" she asked, breathing hard. She knew as soon as the words left her lips that it was a stupid question — he had been beating her despite not having landed a blow.

The man frowned. "I don't know what a Death Eater is, but I know that if Diana trained you, we probably shouldn't be fighting."

Rose took a step back and her wand wavered. "How do you... but if you're not with them, then who...?"

"I'm Batman."

Rose's spine tingled at that declaration, and she now had a pretty good idea of why he was a member of the Justice League, despite not having any supernatural abilities or superpowers. "I'm Rose. But how could you know about Diana?"

"I know how she fights," he answered, putting his hands down. "We've sparred often enough, and I've watched her ever since she first appeared. It's obvious that you move like her. You're good, though you still have a long ways to go." He looked around at the bodies. "Do you want to tell me what's going on here? What were you doing to these men?"

"The ones in black are Death Eaters," Rose said, unsure of what she was allowed to tell him. She glanced at the Minister, who was still lying on the ground, and he gave her a subtle shake of his head. _Great,_ she thought. _Like I'm going to be able to keep secrets from a man Diana describes as the greatest detective in the world!_

"They're... terrorists," she continued. "Everything going on here is because of them. The dragons are just a diversion — the real attack is over there. The giants are breaking into the... into a secret underground government facility."

Batman nodded. "I had already guessed that, though I had no idea about the government facility. I've tried several different things to stop them, but nothing has worked so far, then I saw you..."

A screech drew their attention to the skies above, where a large Horntail had just used its spiked tail to bash someone. "Hawkman!" Batman shouted as he reached for his utility belt.

Rose raised her wand and incanted, _"_ _ **Arresto Momentum!**_ _"_

The sudden slowing of his body caused most of the Horntail's follow-up blast of fire to miss him, but he still got rather singed. Green Lantern was already headed in that direction and quickly grabbed the Horntail with a giant green hand, thus preventing it from continuing to go after Hawkman — or anyone on the ground.

Rose used her wand to direct the falling body over to the nearby wall that the Minister was now sitting up against. She hadn't seen him crawl over to it, but it seemed that the effort had caused him to pass out.

"These are pretty serious injuries," Batman said, kneeling beside his comrade.

 _"Tergeo! Episkey!"_ Rose incanted, getting rid of the blood and healing up some of his more superficial injuries. "Sorry, but I don't know how to do anything else to heal him."

"Thank you," Hawkman said softly. "I already feel better."

"Those are some interesting abilities you have. I'd ask about them, but we need to deal with those giants," Batman said. "Whatever they're trying to break into is tough, but I doubt it will last much longer — not with the pounding they're giving it."

"Can you look after the Min... after this man?" Rose asked Hawkman. "He's an important government official."

"I'll do my best," he answered, hefting a mace. "One arm still works."

"Watch out for anyone wearing black cloaks and carrying little sticks," Rose added as she began casting stunning and binding spells on all the downed Death Eaters. "They'll torture and kill you without a second's hesitation."

"I assume you know why they're targeting this facility?" Batman asked as he carefully observed her actions.

Rose nodded. "It's full of people who would normally deal with exactly this sort of problem, but now they're trapped. That's why you were called in by the Prime Minister, I guess. And if we don't stop this in time, those trapped people won't be able to stop these terrorists in the future. I can't tell you more, though — it's against the law. You've seen too much as it is, in fact."

"Clearly you know a lot more than you're letting on, then," Batman said, and Rose could feel him evaluating her. "Do you have any suggestions for how to handle these giants? The others could probably make short work out of them, but they're too busy with the dragons in the sky."

"Giants are most vulnerable in their eyes, ears, and mouths; their skin is incredibly tough," Rose explained. "Their eyesight is weak, and they're pretty dumb."

Batman nodded thoughtfully. "I can work with that. Come on."

He took off at a run in the direction of the Ministry, and Rose followed as best she could, though her hip still pained her. Soon the giants were in sight.

"Here, put these in your ears," Batman commanded before throwing a handful of metal balls in the middle of the enraged creatures. Thick, noxious smoke billowed up around them, forcing them to stop their attack.

"What do they do?" Rose asked. They looked like earplugs, so she began working them into her ears.

"They'll protect you from this," he answered, pulling an odd-looking gun from the small of his back. "It's an ultrasonic weapon I had designed for possible... extraterrestrial threats. I brought it along on the assumption that these creatures were an alien attack."

"They're not," Rose said, and he grunted in reply. By the time he'd connected the gun to the base of a nearby lamp post, the giants were almost clear of the smoke — and the meanest-looking one had noticed the two tiny humans. With a roar, he raised up his club and charged.

"Superman, Power Girl, can you hear me? You two might want to hold your ears for a few seconds."

* * *

Diana felt her muscles straining as she pulled back on the rope that was keeping the dragon's mouth shut. Even as strong as she was, the magic in the dragons was pushing her to her limits. Magic was all about will and intent, and there was no denying that the desire of the dragon to attack the tiny creatures that were hurting it was massive.

Fortunately, with both Superman and Power Girl blasting their faces with their freezing breath, they were able to put each dragon into something like a comatose state in fairly short order. By the time Diana got one unconscious body safely to the ground, Hal had another one trapped in the grip of his ring — a ring that was only as strong as the bearer's will, and it was obvious that Hal was feeling the strain, too.

"Just one more to go," Hal called out, but before she could take the now-unconscious dragon from him, she reeled and grabbed her head in pain. It was as if a spear was being shoved through it, rattling her teeth and skull. After several long, excruciating years, the pain disappeared almost as abruptly as it appeared.

"What's wrong?" Hal asked. Diana looked around and saw that both Superman and Power Girl looked even worse than she felt.

"What was _that?"_ Superman exclaimed.

"I told you to hold your ears," came Bruce's voice over the radio. "I used an ultrasonic weapon to put these giants down."

"Thanks for the warning," Diana said a bit sourly as she took the dragon. Looking down, she could see that all the giants were on the ground, incapacitated for the moment by Bruce's device. Rose was there, too. Diana wasn't sure if she should be happy or worried about them working together. She doubted that they'd get along well, but there was no question that he'd protect her.

"Sorry, I didn't realize how badly it would affect you."

"We only have one more dragon to deal with. When we're done, we'll come to you," Superman said.

"Did you save the biggest and worst for last, or what?" Diana asked when she returned.

"Not on purpose," Hal said, fighting to keep control of the biggest and meanest dragon of the lot. "This one was just the hardest to catch, that's all."

"Great," Diana muttered, moving above and behind the dragon's head so she could lasso its snout. Instead of going around the snout, however, the golden rope grew taut as the dragon whipped its head up and snatched it in its jaws. Smoke issued ominously from its nostrils as it jerked downward, flinging Diana forward and into its line of sight. Cold, calculating eyes stared deeply into her own just before her world was consumed by fire.

* * *

"So, dragons?" Batman asked. "Real dragons?"

Rose nodded.

"And real giants?"

Rose nodded again. "What about it?"

He looked at her carefully, and once again Rose felt like she was being examined under a microscope. "Nothing. Let's get these things taken care of before they recover." They had to step carefully to avoid the massive hole which the giants had made over top of the Ministry of Magic. Rose didn't want to think of how many down there had been hurt or killed — she just hoped that the giants had been stopped in time.

While Rose cast the Conjunctivitis Curse and Stunning Charm at each of their faces, Batman used steel cable to hog-tie them. Taken together, their efforts would at least slow the giants down once they woke up.

"Now what?" Rose asked when they were done.

"Now we wait," Batman replied, looking up into the sky. "Unless, of course, you'd like to tell me about this secret government facility that for some reason I've never learned about. Or maybe about the powers you have?"

"I'll consider it," Rose said, and Batman looked over at her, surprised. "But only after you apologize to Diana."

"She killed a man," he said grimly.

"So have I," Rose replied, holding his gaze. "Do you condemn everyone who takes a life? Every police officer? Every soldier?"

She could see his jaw tighten before he turned back to look at the sky. "Those situations are different. Those people don't kill in cold blood."

"Sometimes, but not always," Rose said evenly. "How many police snipers have shot hostage-takers even before they killed someone? In those situations, the officers could choose to wait and see if things will work out, but they don't. They put the lives of the hostages first. That's what Diana did. Maxwell Lord was holding practically the entire world hostage, using Superman as his weapon. And he wasn't just aiming that weapon — he'd already used it. He was going to keep using it, too. You survived being attacked by Superman, but not everyone would have been so luck—" Rose broke off suddenly, hissing in pain as she grabbed her chest. "Diana!"

"What's the matter?"

Rose gasped out a breath. "It's Diana. Something's happened to her!"

Batman's eyes narrowed as he pulled out binoculars and scanned the sky. "You can tell?"

Rose winced and nodded, searching above them as well. "We have a... connection. I can tell that something just caused her tremendous pain and distress."

"I see them," Batman announced as he pointed to a growing dot in the sky.

"What happened?" Rose demanded, trying to look where Batman was pointing.

"I don't know, but Superman is bringing her down." Seconds later, Rose saw Superman and Power Girl approach, with the former carrying Wonder Woman's still-smoking body. Most of her skin was red and raw, with blisters forming everywhere, and what little was left of her armor was a blackened, ruined mess.

Rose tried to rush forward, but Batman grabbed her shoulder to hold her back. "You said yourself that you can't heal injuries that severe—"

"Let me _go!"_ Rose screamed, wrenching out of his grasp. "That's my wife!"

She didn't see Batman's arm fall limply away in shock. She only had eyes for the woman in Superman's arms.

"Wife?" Power Girl asked, dumbfounded.

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Rose insisted.

"King's College Hospital is heavily damaged," Superman said, "so is the London Bridge Hospital."

"The others will all be swamped," Power Girl added.

Rose shook her head vehemently, trying to maintain control so she could be of use to Diana. "Those hospitals can't help her. There's only one in London that can treat dragonfire burns, but I'm not sure if it's even still operational, much less if it'll take her. There's another that will, but it's in Scotland. I could apparate, but..." She paused, staring desperately at her wife.

"Apparate?" Superman asked.

"It's... it's like teleportation," Rose explained. "Except that I only just learned how to do it. As upset as I am, I'm not sure I'd manage without splin... injuring myself. And with a second, injured person..."

"What about that government official?" Batman asked.

"Oh, Scrimgeour!" Rose exclaimed. "Well, that settles it. There's no way I can side-along apparate two injured people, and Dobby can't take people so far..."

"What government official?" Hal asked as he landed, having put the last dragon with the others.

Rose looked up and fixed Superman with a glare. "This is your fault, so you have to fix it. How long would it take you to fly to northern Scotland?"

"Not long at all, but I'm needed here to—"

"Then you'd better hurry!" Rose cut him off. "Now kneel down so I can climb on your back. I'm riding."

"What?"

"You won't be able to find this place without me! Kneel!"

"Better do as she says," Power Girl said as she tried to suppress a snicker.

"I need someone else to take Scrimgeour," Rose went on. "Regular hospitals won't be able to help him, either."

"I'll do it," Power Girl volunteered, soaring down the street in the direction that Batman pointed her.

"Be quick about it," Batman said. "We need you two back here for rescue operations."

Rose ignored him as she wrapped her legs about Superman's waist and her arms around his neck. "Stop wasting time! Mush!"

"I'll, uh, be back as quick as I can," Superman said to the others before taking off.

The Flash appeared just then and watched the other two fly away. "Hey, where are they going? Is something wrong with Diana?"

"Bruce, did you have any idea...?" Hal asked.

Batman shook his head. "Not a clue. And marriage is just one of the day's surprises."

"Guys?" Flash asked. "What did I miss? Who's married?"

* * *

They'd been flying for several minutes before Superman finally spoke up, asking a question that Rose was certain he'd been struggling with the entire time.

"So, how is it that you two are, uh, married? I thought that was illegal in... well, everywhere."

"It's not illegal for certain groups of people," Rose answered. "I met her in Las Vegas where she was drinking in a bar, trying to get over having all of her friends turn their backs on her." The wince on Superman's face was obvious, even from Rose's vantage point, and she had no intention of sparing his feelings. "She was in a pretty bad place, I think. So was I, though for different reasons. We hit it off, and the rest is history."

"Sounds... romantic?" Power Girl said half-heartedly.

"Not really," Rose said. "But we're working on it." At that moment, Diana's face contorted and Rose thought she could hear her moan. She decided to keep talking, just for the distraction it provided. "Does she often get hurt this badly?"

Superman shook his head. "No, not that I'm aware of. She does get injured, like when... well, it does happen, if her opponent is strong enough. But not this badly. Will your people be able to help her?"

Rose was glad to hear genuine concern in his voice. "I think so, though burns from dragon fire are difficult to treat. They usually produce permanent scars, in fact, but she heals much better than most, so I'm optimistic." She paused for a second, then asked, "Are you going as fast as you can?" She had no idea where they were — even if she could tell that sort of thing from the air, she was paying more attention to Diana's face than to the ground — but it didn't seem to be fast enough.

"No," he answered, and before she could start berating him he quickly added, "I can't go full speed — you would certainly fall off, and I'm not sure what it would do to Diana, given her injuries." Rose relaxed, though only with an effort.

"You really hurt her," Rose said after a few more minutes. "When you turned your back on her, I mean."

"I'm sorry. It's just... she crossed a line I never thought she'd cross. People as powerful as we are need to show more restraint. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. The world isn't safe otherwise." Next to them, Power Girl scowled — though Rose thought it was more at Superman than at her.

Rose snorted. "She does hold herself to a higher standard — a _very_ high one, in fact. It's just not the same as yours. If you never thought she'd kill, then you haven't been paying attention to what being an Amazon means. She may be reluctant to kill, but deadly force is never completely off the table. And if you start getting all high and mighty on me about how killing is never acceptable, I'll tell you the same things I told Batbrain back there: _you_ may find it easy to protect yourself from deadly threats, but others can't. That's why some people have the thankless job of using deadly force to stop those threats before innocents get hurt. What Diana did is no different from a sniper shooting a hostage-taker before a hostage can be harmed."

Unlike Batman, Superman remained silent. After a little while had passed, he said, "You're going to have to tell me where to go — we're coming into northern Scotland."

"Go to Dufftown, then turn west," she answered. Soon after that, she pointed down to the ground. "There! That's the castle!"

"I don't see anything," Power Girl objected. "Just some old ruins."

"It doesn't look safe," Superman added.

"You wouldn't be able to see it — it has protections against the wrong people finding it. Keep going!"

"Are you sure?" Superman said doubtfully. "It looks awfully unsafe to me. Maybe we should go back..."

"No! Trust me, just land!"

Despite their obvious skepticism, they did as instructed. Rose couldn't see Superman's face well, but she was pretty sure that his mirrored the shock that was on Power Girl's when they passed through the wards and the ruins they'd observed from above transformed into a majestic castle. By the time their feet touched the ground, the Headmaster was already coming through the front doors. He only needed a moment to evaluate the situation, and he quickly turned around to send a patronus message back into the castle.

It was only a minute or so later that the Headmaster was joined by Madam Pomfrey and Mala.

"Tell me what happened!" the healer demanded. Mala eyed the two superheroes balefully.

"Diana was blasted with dragon fire. I have no idea what curses the Minister was hit with," Rose explained.

"How long ago?" Pomfrey asked as she began casting diagnostic charms and the Headmaster conjured two floating stretchers for the injured.

"Maybe an hour?" Rose answered.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "I should still be able to help, then." She turned and bustled back into the castle, the two stretchers following along like obedient dogs. Rose trotted next to Diana's, holding her hand and never taking her eyes off the woman's prone figure.

"You!" Mala exclaimed, stepping forward and in front of a worried-looking Superman. "This is your fault!"

"Wait, no..."

"If anyone is to blame, it's both of us," Power Girl said, trying to interpose herself between her comrade and the angry Amazon. "We didn't see that she was in trouble soon enough to help. If we had, we might have been able to prevent this. We're sorry, but it was a risky operation, and we were working as fast as possible to prevent any more loss of life on the ground."

Mala paused and regarded Power Girl critically. The female superhero was easily as large and fit as any Amazon, something Mala was unaccustomed to. After a moment, she gave a grudging nod and turned on her heel, heading quickly into the castle.

"How are things in London?" Dumbledore asked.

"Not good," Superman said. "We got the dragons and giants contained, for now at least, but there's been widespread destruction. We have no idea yet how many are dead or injured. It has to be in the thousands, at the very least. Aside from Wonder Woman, Hawkman was the only member of our team to sustain any injuries."

"Oh? How badly?" Dumbledore asked, his voice holding more than just polite interest.

"I don't know the details, but Batman seemed to think that he'll be OK."

Dumbledore shook his head. "So much senseless violence. Well, I suppose I should go see how our newest patients are doing."

"Is this a hospital?" Superman asked.

"No, but we have hospital facilities. I'm afraid I can't tell you what this place is, and after you leave you won't be able to return. It was only by virtue of being accompanied by the others that you were able to get this close in the first place. But I thank you for bringing those two here for treatment. I can assure you that they will be well taken care of."

"We weren't given much of a choice," Superman admitted, and Dumbledore raised a questioning eyebrow. "That young girl all but put a saddle and bridle on me when she demanded that I fly her and Wonder Woman here."

Dumbledore laughed aloud at that. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"Are they really married?" Power Girl asked. "The girl and Wonder Woman, I mean."

"Indeed they are, which is why Rose is so protective of Diana."

"You know who Wonder Woman is?" Superman asked.

Dumbledore fixed the Kryptonian with a twinkling eye. Instead of answering, he asked his own question. "Was Alan Scott with you today, by any chance?"

Superman frowned. "No, he retired years ago... but how do you know him?"

Now Dumbledore's gaze positively sparkled. "Tell Hawkman that Albus said hello, and perhaps he'll share some stories with you." The old wizard chuckled as he turned and entered the castle, the doors slamming closed behind him.

"Well, that was more surreal than normal for us. And that's saying something," Power Girl said with a shake of her head.

"We'd better get back," Superman responded, his brow still furrowed. "But once we're done, we're going to sit down with Hawkman and Hal to have a long talk. Maybe call in Alan, too."

* * *

Diana didn't wake for over forty-eight hours, but in that time most of her burns and other wounds healed by a considerable degree. Madam Pomfrey hadn't treated Amazons before that school year, but she had learned a lot about how to use healing magic to aid their own physiology in quickly repairing their bodies.

Rose, Mala, and Hermione refused to leave Diana's bedside. Nothing Madam Pomfrey said could get them to leave, and the Headmaster declined to use his authority to force them. Eventually the healer gave up and permitted them to sleep in shifts in the beds to either side. And that was what Diana encountered when she finally did awake, with Rose dozing in the chair next to her bed.

Diana blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she tried to remember what happened to her last. _Oh, right. Dragons._

Once she recognized Rose's form slumped over the side of her bed, she reached out to take the young witch's hand and give it a gentle squeeze. This startled Rose, causing her to jump slightly as she sat up and looked around. "Diana!" she whispered, clutching her wife's hand with both of her own. "How are you feeling?"

Diana considered the question. "Not too bad, I think." Her voice was rough, and she had to clear her throat before she could continue. "Warm and a bit uncomfortable, but there isn't much pain. What happened?"

"You got hit by dragon fire. Point-blank, too. Here," Rose said, helping her sip from a glass of water. "Any regular person would have been turned to ash, but you... well, the burns were bad. Pretty much your entire body was covered in second and third degree burns. Your armor was a total loss, but Mala said she brought back a new set for both of you when she last returned from Themyscira."

Diana raised a hand to her face, gingerly touching her skin and hair. "But now?"

"Your hair's a bit of a mess, but there's a potion for that which you can get later. Otherwise, you look more or less like you got a sunburn. Madam Pomfrey has burn salve specifically for this sort of injury. It doesn't normally work nearly so well, but we've been applying it every couple of hours. That plus your natural healing ability prevented any permanent scarring."

"We?"

Rose gestured to either side of the bed. "Mala and Hermione have been here, helping. We all refused to leave, so Madam Pomfrey let us watch over and care for you in shifts."

Diana's hand reached out to cup Rose's face, and the young witch leaned into the touch. "Thank you for doing so much. I'm sorry if I worried you. Those dragons were difficult to control, and I may have lost my concentration there with the last one."

"We've all been worried. Mala's been ranting about what she's going to do to Superman for letting you get hurt, and Hermione's been obsessively revising training schedules and studying healing magic." Rose's voice hardened a little. "I asked Superman as he brought us here, and he said that he didn't think you usually got injured this badly. This is already the second extended stay for you in the hospital wing! At this rate, you'll end up in here more than I am!"

"He's not entirely wrong," Diana admitted. "I've gotten knocked around pretty badly before, but not this often in such a short span of time. The problem is the magic: I may be more resistant to magical injury than some, like Superman, but I'm not immune to it. So the magic your people use can cause me more harm than non-magical weapons can."

"And of course you keep putting yourself in harm's way..."

"As an Amazon and a protector of the innocent, I can't do anything else. Would you have me be any different? Are _you_ any different?"

"No," Rose said with a sigh. "I guess not. I just... I'm not used to being on this side of this conversation."

"In other words, now you know what Hermione's been going through all these years."

"Yeah, but don't tell her I said that." After a moment's hesitation, Rose climbed into bed. Diana shifted to the side, pulling the young witch close. "Merlin, this is like the end of fifth year all over again," Rose whispered.

"And just as Hermione was going to be fine then, I'll be fine now," Diana responded.

"I know. It's... it's so hard to watch you lying there. I've felt so helpless. I..." She turned so she could look into her wife's eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I love you, Diana — I love you so much, I really do, and I don't know—"

"Shhh. I love you too," Diana said, pulling the younger woman close again and smiling against her hair.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. It's just... I mean, I..."

"It's alright. Love is a powerful emotion, especially for someone who loves as strongly and deeply as you obviously do. Admitting it means admitting that one is willing to be vulnerable, and that's never easy. People who have been raised in Patriarch's World are often taught that strength comes from independence whereas submission, even to love, is a sign of weakness."

"But it's not, is it?"

Diana shook her head. "Just the opposite. The trust and self-knowledge required by mutual submission ultimately make people much stronger and more resilient. And that's why I know that we'll be able to get through this. Together."

* * *

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Voldemort held the curse for several minutes before releasing it. His magic was stronger and had been coming more easily ever since the ritual had reunited him with the piece of his soul in Hufflepuff's cup. Even the Unforgivable curses were less of a strain than they had been over the past year.

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Not that servants like Nott would appreciate how much easier it was for him to punish failure now.

Eventually he released the curse again and glared at his assembled Death Eaters. He was about to start another tirade when he felt a familiar burning in his chest, reminding him that he still had more to do before his soul was sufficiently healed to protect him from whatever was happening with Potter. The usual pain was more bearable now, but he continued to experience regular flare-ups.

Already, he could tell that tonight it would get bad.

"The only reason I don't kill you all right now is because the Ministry was ultimately damaged enough to be put out of action," he finally hissed. "But the loss of the dragons and giants, not to mention the failure to destroy the Ministry utterly, is **inexcusable!** "

For several long seconds, the only sounds in the room were the low gasps and moans of those he'd cursed.

"Get out!" he finally shouted, causing them all to jump and begin pushing their way to the back of the room, each eager to be the first to leave. "Not you, Wormtail," he called, and the group quickly parted to reveal a quivering Peter Pettigrew.

"M-m-master?"

Voldemort knew that he needed another horcrux for this month's ritual, and while the locket and ring would be easier to obtain, he'd decided that it would be safest in the long run to get the diadem. Having it so close to both Dumbledore and Potter bothered him.

"I have an important mission for you," Voldemort said in a low, dangerous purr. "Complete it, and you will be greatly rewarded. Fail, and I promise that it will take you _months_ to die."


	20. Know When to Hold'em

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _The Sum of their Parts_ by holdmybeer. There are a lot of stories out there where Harry turns "dark," and most require shifting his personality a great deal. This story is much better because it gives a relatively canon-Harry a very, very good reason to become a Dark Lord: he does it for Teddy. I've recommended it before, but it's an amazing story that deserves to be read.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Know When to Hold'em**

 **Late May, 1997. Little Hangleton.**

Rose grunted as she dropped to one knee. It hurt, but it was a lot better than being sent sprawling like she usually was at the end of a portkey trip. She dusted off her leg and looked around, squinting against the harsh light as the early morning sun briefly came out from behind some clouds. All warmth was driven away, however, when she recognized her surroundings.

"Professor, are we...?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Dumbledore answered.

"Rose?" Diana asked, putting one hand on her shoulder. Rose just closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

Diana looked questioningly at the Headmaster.

"This is the graveyard in Little Hangleton where Mrs Potter was taken at the end of the Triwizard Tournament in her fourth year," he said. Diana audibly sucked in a breath. Rose turned away from them, and it was sheer bad luck that she would up facing in the direction of a large, familiar statue of a cloaked angel with outstretched arms and holding a scythe.

"Why?" Diana demanded.

"It was the closest and easiest destination to create a portkey for," Dumbledore explained. "I apologize for any discomfort this causes, but there really was no better choice."

"You still could have warned us," Diana said angrily, though Rose was barely listening. When he had proposed this trip to pursue a lead on one of the horcruxes, she'd insisted on being allowed to help, but she'd had no idea it meant coming back _here_. As she tried to clear her mind and pull herself together, she became aware of a subtle noise that was starting to creep into the space around them.

"Perhaps you are right, but I—"

"Professor?" Rose interrupted. "What is that?"

"What is what?" Diana asked, stepping forward to stand beside her.

"That hissing. It sounds... it sounds almost like a snake, but it can't be, because it isn't parseltongue. It sounds like what normal people must hear from a snake, I guess."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, pulling out his wand and stepping forward as well. He and Diana looked around, but Rose kept being drawn back to the statue, an object which had been part of far too many nightmares over the past two years. As she watched, a greenish, skeletal hand with impossibly long fingers and sharp claws reached up from behind and grasped the statue's head. She heard Diana gasp as an equally skeletal head and torso rose up next, and soon it was perched on top of the statue. Between its hunched posture and unnaturally long limbs, it seemed more ape-like than anything else.

"Is that an inferius?" Rose whispered. The creature hissed at them, opening a mouth that was much too large for a human and revealing teeth that were far too sharp and numerous for any natural animal.

"A what?" Diana asked, her two goblin-made short swords flashing into her hands. The creature turned its head to look directly at her and hissed again, this time much more menacingly.

"A magical zombie," Dumbledore answered. "I believe Professor Lupin taught Rose about them in her third year?" Rose nodded. "Unfortunately, what we have here isn't nearly so simple. This is a ghoul, an evil creature that appears when the mystical protections and blessings in a graveyard dissipate or are overcome by dark magic."

"But... but..." Rose stammered. "The Weasleys have one in their attic. It just kind of makes annoying thumping noises and moans. It's nothing like this!"

Dumbledore grimaced. "Indeed. I am aware of that creature, and I have advised them more than once to get rid of it, but I suspect that it was once one of Molly's relatives. She's in denial, refusing to see the truth of what they've allowed to live in their midst. What they have is indeed a ghoul, though one that has not fed on human flesh, nor has it been imbued with dark magic. As such, they have been able to keep it docile within their warded attic. Should it get free, however..." He trailed off and let loose a small burst of fire from his wand, forcing the ghoul to duck behind the statue.

"This creature, however, has clearly been feasting both on flesh and dark magic," Dumbledore continued. "You can tell because it's out during the day — ghouls normally shun sunlight." As he spoke, the thing once more pulled itself up atop the statue, this time screeching into the sky. "They also typically avoid contact with humans unless they are in a large pack, which makes the behavior of this one even stranger. Still, with the three of us, we should be able to dispatch it and continue on."

Before he could explain further, they heard hissing and scratching coming from all around them.

"Perhaps I spoke too soon," Dumbledore said slowly as he turned to survey their situation. "It would appear that Voldemort's necromantic ritual two years ago had a much more deleterious impact on this graveyard than I had anticipated. Ghouls are notoriously difficult to kill, especially when supported by a pack. Fire is best, though it looks as though the Sword of Gryffindor will prove more useful to us than we expected," he concluded, gesturing at the sword Rose carried as she drew it.

"You know these things best, Headmaster," Diana said. "What's your plan?"

Dumbledore raised his wand high above his head. "I'll provide us some breathing room and prevent them from rushing us en masse. You two stand back to back and watch for any that get through."

Rose and Diana did as instructed while Dumbledore began moving his wand in a circle above his head, incanting _"_ _ **Vortex Igneus!**_ _"_ Angry red flames roared from his wand tip, swirling faster and faster, creating a storm of fire all around them. The heat was enough to make Rose sweat, despite the wall of flames being nearly five meters away from her. On the other side of that wall, she could hear screams of pain and outrage.

"Impressive," Diana said, "but what now? I doubt that they will be accommodating enough to simply throw themselves into your flames, and we can't stay here forever."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, his face set in stony determination. "I will hold this for a few moments longer to encourage their frustration at losing what I am sure they expected to be an easy meal," he said. "Then I'll lift the edge of the curtain, so to speak — enough for them to see once more what has slipped their grasp."

"Do that a few times and they'll become desperate enough to try to come through the gaps you create," Diana concluded, nodding in approval. "Rose and I should be able to handle them in ones and twos."

"Why don't we have Diana fly us out of here?" Rose asked. "You said that Voldemort's defenses will prevent her from seeing the Gaunt shack from above, but she could still take us away from these things."

"They have our scent now," Diana answered. "If they're at all like hungry wolves or hyenas, they'll give chase and track us down, sooner or later. Do you really want them at our backs while we're tackling the protections on the shack?"

"Normally ghouls don't leave the graveyards in which they live," Dumbledore said tightly. "However, given how oddly these are behaving, I don't think it would be wise to rely on that assumption. What's more, there is a muggle village near here, and if we depart without doing anything, I fear that they will soon pose a significant threat to the unwary residents."

Rose raised her sword to a ready position. After a moment, Dumbledore flicked his wand upward as he whipped it around, causing a small section of the vortex to also rise up. It briefly revealed several singed and blackened ghouls, all hunched on the ground, snarling and snapping at each other. They paused to look up as the gap opened, then howled in frustration as it immediately closed again.

"I don't think it will take too much to encourage an attack," Diana noted as she bent her legs in preparation.

"Agreed," Dumbledore responded, his voice beginning to show the strain he was under. He flicked his wand again to open a gap in front of Rose. The ghouls didn't hesitate this time, and four launched themselves into the circle before the gap closed. Only three made it through. The screams of pain from the fourth were joined by those who tried and failed to get even that far.

Rose focused entirely on the enemies in front of her. _"_ _ **Depulso!"**_ she incanted, firing off a banishing charm with her left hand at the ghoul which was trying to circle around towards Dumbledore. The creature stumbled back into the vortex and was quickly turned to ash.

The other two leapt towards her and Diana. Long, powerful limbs carried them across the distance almost faster than Rose could follow. Rather than cast a shield, she slashed her sword above her just before rolling forward under the attack. The ghoul landed behind her with a thud, writhing in pain as the basilisk venom did its work. Just beyond, Diana was finishing off her own attacker with a blow to the head.

"Again," Diana called as Rose got back into position. Another flick of Dumbledore's wand lured in four more ghouls. All were fast enough this time to make it through. _"_ _ **Incendio!**_ _"_ Rose incanted at the two closest to her, sending out a burst of fire which forced them to stop and pull back. Before the flames had cleared, she deftly nicked them both with the deadly blade. Behind her, Diana just as quickly eliminated the other two. The Amazon's strength and skill were more than a match for the bestial ghouls, and it was only her need to protect the preoccupied Headmaster that hampered her.

"Can you continue?" Diana asked. Dumbledore merely nodded as he wiped his brow. Rose and Diana were feeling the heat as well, but they both knew that the old wizard was sweating for more reasons than that. This was not a fight they could allow to drag on.

"Again," Diana called out, and a new gap was opened in the vortex wall, allowing more ghouls to charge in. They repeated the process five more times, each wave attacking with more ferocity and desperation than the previous. By the end both Diana and Rose were breathing hard and bleeding from cuts where long claws had reached through their defenses. Finally a point came when Dumbledore flicked his wand and no attack followed. He waited a few seconds before flicking his wand once more, and still there was no attack.

"Either they're all dead, the survivors have fled, or they've finally gotten smart enough to wait us out," Diana concluded. She looked at Dumbledore, noting how pale his skin was. "Regardless, we can't continue. Headmaster, you need to drop this spell before you collapse. Rose, be ready for anything."

The swirling flames disappeared a moment later, and Dumbledore sank to his knees in relief. Rose's eyes darted all around, looking for any sort of threat, but no attack materialized. "So, dead or fled?"

"I'll check," Diana answered. "Help the Headmaster while I scout around." Diana then rose up into the air and began her reconnaissance. Rose offered Dumbledore a hand to rise and escorted him to a nearby stone bench in front of a ruined chapel.

"That was quite a bit more taxing... than I expected to have to deal with... at this early stage," Dumbledore said, still panting slightly. He looked up at the sky for a moment before adding, "And we've lost more time than I'd like, too."

"Will you be alright?" Rose asked.

"Yes, eventually. I'm simply fatigued. The Fire Storm is a demanding spell, and it's not meant for such extended use."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm tempted to call Fawkes and ask him to fetch a Pepperup potion from Madam Pomfrey, but I shouldn't depend on him for trivial things, especially when he's coming close to a burning day," Dumbledore said, leaning back against the stone wall. "Alas, I shall have to allow my strength to return naturally."

"Maybe I have an alternative," Rose said. She took a deep breath and called, "Dobby!"

The house elf arrived with a pop. He carried what appeared to be a club of some sort and immediately began scanning the vicinity as if searching for threats.

"Dobby, what's wrong?"

"What danger is Missy Rosie being in this time?" he asked suspiciously, continuing to look around while holding the club high above his head.

"Why do you assume I'm in trouble?"

Dobby stopped then and looked Rose up and down, eyeing the various cuts and scrapes she'd received during the fight.

"Fine," she huffed. "There was a bit of an altercation, but I'm fine now."

"And Missy Rosie is sure there's no danger?"

"Diana is searching for stragglers," Rose said, pointing to her wife in the sky.

Dobby nodded, finally relaxing. "What can Dobby be doing?"

"Professor Dumbledore found the fight rather taxing — he's old, you know. Can you fetch a Pepperup potion from Madam Pomfrey?"

Dobby nodded once and popped away.

"Old?" Dumbledore asked, one eyebrow raised.

Rose gave him a guilty smile. "Sorry, I don't want him to worry — otherwise he may forget his promise and shadow us the entire time."

Dumbledore sighed but didn't say anything else. When Dobby returned with the potion, he gratefully accepted it and drank it down.

The excuse about the Headmaster being old seemed to work, because the elf didn't argue too much when Rose told him he could leave. It was nearly ten minutes later that Diana returned.

"I was unable to find any evidence of them beyond the boundaries of the fight," she announced.

"It's unlikely that you would, if they truly fled," Dumbledore responded. "Their warrens are carefully concealed and difficult to find, even for experts."

"So you think they scarpered?" Rose asked. "Will they continue to be a danger to the people nearby?"

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore admitted. "Under normal circumstances, I might report the infestation to the Ministry when we return. Then again, maybe not — I wouldn't want to risk alerting Tom to our activities." He shook his head sadly. "Regardless, that isn't an option now."

"Do they have final casualty figures?" Diana asked, her expression turning grave at the reminder of the state of the Ministry. "I think the latest numbers for London were around five thousand dead and many, many more injured. I don't even want to think about the property damage."

Dumbledore sighed deeply. "While the loss of life in the Ministry is quite a bit less, the devastation is all the greater due to our relatively smaller numbers. Only a bit over two hundred witches and wizards died, and seventeen are still being treated for injuries, but that represents nearly half of the Ministry. Even worse, most of the strongest, most capable people were in the upper floors attempting to reinforce the roof against the attack, so when the ceilings collapsed, they were the first to succumb. The DMLE and Department of Mysteries suffered the greatest losses. And that's of course not counting the damage to our infrastructure — it will be late summer before the floo network is fully restored, if then."

"And how's Minister Scrimgeour?" Rose asked.

At that his expression lightened a bit and he looked at her approvingly. "He's alive because of you, Mrs. Potter. The curses were bad enough that he'll be on potions and restricted duty for several months, but he will live."

Dumbledore spent a few more minutes resting while Rose and Diana tended their wounds. Finally, the old wizard heaved himself to his feet.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a bit more time?" Rose asked, reaching out to lightly touch his elbow.

He gave her a wan smile. "It's tempting, but we still have a long walk ahead of us," he said before moving off at a surprisingly brisk pace towards a distant road, the others following. Once they reached it, he crossed to the far side where there was a tall hedge and turned right. He moved more slowly now, stopping every so often to poke at the hedge with his wand or simply look around. "So much has changed over the past fifty years..." he muttered after spending several minutes working at one especially unremarkable spot.

"Are you alright?" Rose asked when she noticed how often Diana kept shifting her armor. "Are you injured?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It just takes time to break in new armor, and I'm not yet entirely comfortable in this set."

"At least you had a replacement at hand — there wasn't time to ask your mother for more."

"Indeed," Diana said with a grimace. "That would have led to too many awkward questions."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I haven't explained to her every detail about what's happening here, especially when it comes to the injuries Mala and I have received."

"Why not?"

"While injuries are to be expected for a warrior, I'm not sure that my mother would be entirely accepting of that excuse, considering how many attacks both Mala and I have endured. She might be inclined to see them as attacks on Amazons generally."

"And that would be bad, I take it?"

Diana nodded and was about to respond when they heard Dumbledore's voice. "Aha!"

"What is it?" Rose called.

"I've found it," he announced with a glance back at them. He jabbed his wand into the hedge and the branches pulled back, creaking and groaning. The new hole in the hedge revealed a second road, barely recognizable under decades of unchecked growth. "Come, quickly!"

Rose and Diana dashed through the opening, half bent over, and were immediately followed by the Headmaster. As soon as they were on the other side of the hedge, the opening snapped closed. Rose took a step back closer, but she saw nothing that would indicate the existence of any sort of passage back out to the main road.

"How did you find it?" she asked, impressed.

"A basic detection charm," Dumbledore answered. "The overall spellwork on the hedge is formidable, but the concealment spells have decayed over the years." He raised his wand and gave it a half-turn, then a jab forward. "The incantation is _magia revelio_. You try it." Rose had to repeat the wand movements a few times before she got them right, but when she did she looked over at her professor in surprise.

Dumbledore smiled at her reaction. "Exactly. When the spell is performed correctly, your wand will vibrate when pointed at any object imbued with spells, charms, or wards. The stronger the vibration, the stronger and closer the magic. This is only a basic detection spell, though. You need to use more specialized spells in order to determine what sort of magic is present, whether it's harmful or not, and so forth."

As the three proceeded down the overgrown lane, Dumbledore continued to instruct Rose on various detection charms. Every so often he'd stop and cast one or two of the spells on a rock or stump, then he'd have Rose do the same while explaining what she should be looking for. As Dumbledore had feared, Voldemort had left a number of traps along the way, all of which he disarmed with Rose's help.

Even Diana got caught up in his lessons — so much so, in fact, that it was several minutes before any of them realized that it was getting dark. Too dark, given how it was only approaching midday. "Headmaster?" Diana said as she looked around in concern.

"Yes, I see it too," he responded levelly. "Look at the trees." He gestured towards one in particular, tall and twisted. All around in a large area the earth was buckled and misshapen from the tree's roots, and high above its branches bent and turned, blocking the sky despite the lack of healthy foliage. "There are more like it farther down this lane," he said before carefully picking his way across the increasingly uneven ground. The three travellers fell silent as they proceeded, each unwilling to give voice to the fears that were causing the backs of their necks to prickle.

"What was that?" Rose asked as she stopped and peered into the darkness on their right.

"I didn't hear anything," Diana said, though she stopped and looked as well.

"Nor did I," Dumbledore said. He eyed the other two carefully. "Do you remember your promise to me before we left, Mrs. Potter?"

"To leave you if you tell us to run?" she replied, and Dumbledore nodded. "Of course I remember it, but we didn't run when we were faced with the ghouls..."

"There are much worse things in the world than a pack of ghouls," Dumbledore said.

"Even so, are we supposed to simply leave you behind? You're too important!"

"You are much more important than I in this war," Dumbledore corrected her. "But even if you weren't, it wouldn't matter. I am your professor and your headmaster. This means that your safety is much more important to me than my own. It's my duty to protect you, one I accept gladly. Do you understand?"

Rose looked at him for several long moments before she swallowed hard and nodded.

"Good. We must press on."

Reluctantly, the other two followed, but they spent a lot of time looking from side to side, searching for any evidence that they were being watched.

"This place reminds me of a fairy tale," Rose commented after a few minutes. "One of the darker ones."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said before coming to a halt. "Mrs. Potter, do you remember how to detect dark magic?"

Rose nodded and incanted, _"Magia Perversa Revelio!"_ Her wand vibrated strongly every direction she turned, though it was a bit weaker when she faced back the way they'd come.

"And illusion magic?"

Rose cancelled her spell, then cast, _"Magia Illusia Revelio!"_ Once again, her wand vibrated. "So, is this an illusion?"

"Only in part," Dumbledore answered. "But I'm concerned about what effect it will have on us as we venture deeper." He fixed the other two with an appraising look. "You can feel it, can't you? Growing apprehension? Dread at nothing in particular, but you feel like you're ready to jump out of your own skins?"

"I thought it was just me," Diana admitted. "I've never felt this way before."

Dumbledore nodded. "It's rather clever spellwork. Even if someone managed to get past all the concealments, they'd be driven off by their own imaginations working overtime, and they'd probably never realize that they were influenced by outside forces."

"Is there a way to counter it?"

"We need a way to suppress our fears. A cheering charm might help, but I'm not sure it would last long..." He paused at Rose's gasp of surprise. "You've thought of something, Mrs. Potter?"

Instead of answering his question directly, she raised her wand and incanted, _"_ _ **Expecto Patronum!**_ _"_

A silvery-white stag burst forth, pushing back the suffocating gloom and filling the three travellers with renewed hope.

"Ah, yes, of course!" Dumbledore exclaimed, and a moment later Rose's stag was joined by a silvery-white phoenix that circled above their heads. "The magic here isn't quite like that of dementors, but it is close enough for this to work."

"Amazing!" Diana whispered.

"Indeed it is," Dumbledore agreed. "Few adult witches and wizards can cast this spell at even the most minimal level, but your wife learned how to do it when she was merely thirteen — and she was able to use it against a horde of the foulest creatures that exist. You'll notice that her stag looks more solid and detailed than my phoenix."

"I didn't realize..." Rose started to say, but then trailed off, unsure of how to express her feelings.

"You're stronger and more skilled than you give yourself credit for," Dumbledore said. "It's something we should probably discuss, but this isn't the time or place. We do need to get moving."

Feeling refreshed in the presence of two patronuses, they were able to make good time again, even as the murk and gloom thickened around them the deeper they pushed into the forest. By the time they reached their destination, however, Rose was feeling the stress of having to hold the patronus spell for so long, and she barely restrained herself from rushing forward into the bright clearing when the trees thinned enough for her to see it.

"Hold," Dumbledore commanded as Rose let the stag disappear. She was about to drop to the ground when she felt her wife's strong arms wrap around her, supporting her and encouraging her to lean back into them.

"Will you be alright?" Diana asked as they watched Dumbledore cast a series of spells in the air in front of them, some of which Rose now recognized and some she didn't.

"I think so. The patronus charm requires a happy memory to cast, and I have to concentrate on that memory in order to keep the spell going. So it's more mentally and emotionally taxing than most spells."

"Oh? And what memory did you use?" Diana inquired archly.

Rose tilted her head to grin up at her wife. "Well, I started with the first time I found myself surrounded by your arms, and proceeded from there."

Diana's response was interrupted by Dumbledore clearing his throat. "Ladies?" he said. "We may have a slight problem."

"Headmaster?"

He hefted a rock and looked intently at the two of them. "I cannot say for certain what will happen, but if I tell you to, I want the two of you to turn and run."

Rose scowled at him.

"Don't completely discount my ability to defend myself — I am not without some experience, as you well know." His lips quirked in a slight smile before he turned serious again and met Diana's eyes. "You must protect her, Mrs. Black, even at my expense. I must have your word." Diana nodded once, causing Rose to spin in her arms and glare at her.

"He's right," Diana said, heading off Rose's complaint. "If I have to pick which one of you to save, I'm choosing you."

"Very good," Dumbledore replied, turning back to the clearing and tossing the rock in. It landed with a thud about halfway between the treeline and a decrepit shack, and barely a second passed before sparks of electricity crackled across the bare ground. Something dark and red erupted from beneath the stone, spraying dirt everywhere, and then the clearing was silent again.

"What was _that?"_ Rose and Diana asked with one voice.

"Mongolian death worm, if I'm not mistaken," Dumbledore replied calmly as he waved his wand in the air again. "Vicious, mindless predators."

"Excuse me?" Diana exclaimed in disbelief. "That sounds like something from a really bad horror movie."

"I don't know about that, but it truly is a horror," Dumbledore said. "They stun their prey with electrical shocks, then liquify the flesh with caustic venom as they consume the body over the course of several days." He finished his spells and turned to face his two horrified companions. "They are obviously not native to this land, but I assume Voldemort came across them in his travels after graduating from Hogwarts. Right now, I suspect that several are living underground around the Gaunt shack."

Rose gulped audibly. "I don't suppose we can apparate to the porch?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "There is an anti-apparition ward around the clearing — not one that would block apparition, but rather one that would flay us alive when we arrived at our destination. And no, I can't take it down. It's tied to a second ward which keeps the worms contained here. Were I to dispel the ward, then at best the worms would immediately attack us, attracted to the vibration our movements make on the ground. At worst, they would spread and become a plague in this region of Britain."

"That thing was massive — at least five feet long," Diana protested. "How can even one of them survive in such a small area?"

"They are native to the Gobi desert and can get by on minimal food," Dumbledore assured her. "They also sustain themselves with ambient magic, of which there is quite a bit around here. However, we can reasonably assume that they are hungry, which will make our job harder."

Diana nodded grimly. "So what are their weaknesses?"

"Not many, I'm afraid. They have no natural predators, at least not since the Crumple-horned Snorkacks were all hunted to extinction for their horns."

"Why their horns?"

"Powdered snorkack horn is the key ingredient in the sand used in time turners." Dumbledore shook his head. "Sadly, even they are almost all gone now, too. Such a tragic waste."

Rose winced and made a mental note to apologize to Luna at the first available opportunity.

"One bit of good news is that they do not hunt in packs," Dumbledore continued. "On the contrary, they are rather territorial and tend to avoid other worms, which is what makes the presence of several in such a small area so unusual. There are probably spells here designed to make them less aggressive towards each other."

"Can we counter that?" Rose asked. "Maybe use the Imperius curse on them to get them to attack each other?"

Dumbledore frowned at his student. "While not illegal to use on an animal, the Imperius is still a dark curse and not one I would use lightly."

"This situation hardly qualifies as light," Diana pointed out.

"True," he conceded, "but there are alternatives. A Confundus Charm might be strong enough to overcome whatever spells Voldemort used here, especially if coupled with serious wounds — the combination of blood and hunger might cause them to focus on each other."

"So, just cast a strong Confundus Charm?" Rose asked.

"Alas, matters are not so simple," Dumbledore said as he sat on a fallen tree. "First, the charm must be cast on a specific target, not simply on an area. So we must attract at least one to the surface."

"That doesn't sound too hard..."

"Second, the wards around this clearing inhibit the casting of spells. Anything I attempted would be greatly weakened at the very least. Objects may pass unhindered, but to cast magic we must first physically cross the ward line. That's why I can't tell exactly how many of these creatures we are facing."

"...and there's the other shoe dropping." Rose let out a huff as she sat down next to him.

"Objects?" Diana asked as she stepped up and gazed out over the clearing. "Even objects imbued with magic?" She held out a hand and one of her goblin-made short swords appeared.

"I suspect so," Dumbledore said, leaning forward and eyeing her sword carefully. "If I understand the ward correctly, it's only directed spells which are affected. Ambient magic can pass back and forth with ease, as should even heavily enchanted items like your sword. What is it that you have in mind?"

* * *

Diana's plan wasn't complicated, but it wasn't risk-free, either, and had to be executed with careful timing. The three spread themselves out along the treeline, each about ten meters from the other. Rose was in the middle with two rocks the size of softballs. She had cast hopping hexes on them — a pranking spell created by the Weasley twins — to make them even more enticing. Once the three were ready, Rose threw each stone several meters into the clearing and about halfway between her and each of the others.

Almost as soon as they landed, electricity arced across the ground around both of them; but before they could be consumed they hopped up into the air and fell a short distance away. The ugly, blood-red worms which burst up out of the earth stopped short in surprise, too accustomed to their stunned prey simply waiting patiently to be captured.

That was when Diana and Dumbledore acted. Diana threw her sword at the worm closest to her, skewering its side in an explosion of blood. At the same time, Dumbledore stepped across the ward line and incanted, _"_ _ **Confundo!**_ _"_ He held the spell for two or three long seconds before jumping back into the trees. The electrical discharge which surged across the ground where he'd been standing told them that he'd cut it far too close.

The worm which Diana had attacked was now turned and facing her. Its mouth opened, revealing a ring of razor-sharp teeth as it hissed impotently at her from the other side of the containment ward. Thus distracted, it was unprepared to either dodge or defend itself when the second worm suddenly slammed into its side, sinking all of its own teeth through the hard, leathery skin and injecting its sibling with caustic acid. The hissing turned to shrieking as the first worm began dissolving from the inside out.

"Once more," Dumbledore said, and Rose grimaced as she spelled two more rocks. She'd had no idea that worms of any sort could make noises like that, and she was sure that they would soon haunt some of her more unpleasant nightmares.

They all moved a little ways around the edge of the clearing and repeated the process, Diana using her remaining sword on a second worm while Dumbledore risked himself to bespell another to attack the new victim. In the end, though, they needn't have bothered: the death throes of the first worm were clearly far more enticing, and Dumbledore simply stepped in again to cast more Confundus Charms on the creatures to encourage their hostility towards one another.

Soon they were all attacking each other in a feeding frenzy that reminded Rose strongly of sharks. It took almost half an hour for silence to fall across the clearing, and they threw several more hopping rocks before they felt safe enough to venture out themselves. Even so, Dumbledore had to put more than one of the worms out of its misery, and the effort to retrieve Diana's swords proved to be exceptionally messy.

Once the worst of the blood and gore had been swept away by several strong cleaning charms, the weary trio stepped up onto the small, broken-down porch and faced the rickety door. A snake, little more than a skeleton now, hung there and started twisting as soon as they were in front of it.

 _"Password!"_

"Uh, it wants a password," Rose said as the hissing increased in volume. "And it doesn't sound happy."

"I think you'd better try something quickly," Dumbledore whispered. "I don't believe there will be time for me to take down the defenses here."

"Um, how about, uh... _Open?_ No? Uh, _Open for me, Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four?"_

 _"Imposter!"_

"I don't think that was—"

The world exploded around them, and soon they all found themselves lying on their backs in the clearing, surrounded by bits and pieces of the porch. Towering above them, rising at least ten meters into the sky, was a massive, blood-red death worm. Its gaping maw was filled with teeth at least as long as Rose's forearm, and judging by the sounds it was making, it was absolutely furious.

"Bloody hell," Rose exclaimed as she rolled to the side, barely avoiding being crushed when the death worm's mouth slammed into the ground where she'd landed. "Maybe I should have stayed in Hogwarts with Hermione and Mala."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, back in the castle..._

"...and once the Lip Locker Hex took effect, Ron and Lavender couldn't separate themselves. They couldn't even cast a finishing charm to cancel the hex because they couldn't talk! And of course no one else was willing to do it — they were too annoyed at the couple's over-the-top snogging every night in the common room!"

Mala had to stop to catch her breath, she was laughing so hard at Hermione's story.

"Ron didn't talk to his brothers for almost a week, though I don't think they minded much," Hermione continued, wiping away a tear from her own laughter before her mood turned more somber. "I think that was about the time I realized that Ron Weasley wasn't the person I wanted to be dating after all."

Mala's merriment was cut short. "I guess it wasn't easy, admitting that to yourself?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. I'd started convincing myself back in fourth year that he fancied me, and over time assumed that he was the only one who ever would."

"A person should never simply settle when it comes to affairs of the heart," Mala said, putting one hand on Hermione's shoulder, but the younger girl just shrugged.

"I've never been popular, and I'll never be as pretty as witches like Lavender. So I was only being practical. But over the past couple of months I've decided that there are worse things than being an old maid and that I shouldn't worry so much about being alone."

Mala shook her head and was about to respond when they came to the stairs leading down from the seventh floor.

"Well, we've walked the entire castle," Hermione said a bit too brightly. "Lunch, then?"

The Amazon looked troubled but didn't object to her friend's diversion. "Should we check the map first?"

"Good idea," Hermione said as she pulled out a piece of old parchment. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," she recited as she tapped the parchment with her wand.

With Mala leaning over her shoulder, Hermione scanned the map for anything unusual. "Looks like most everyone is in the Great Hall, eating," she noted.

"What's that?" Mala asked, pointing to a corridor on the third floor.

Hermione frowned. The footprints suggested a person, but there was no name. Or rather, there was no clear name; instead, there was a jumble of letters that kept rearranging themselves.

"That's right outside Myrtle's bathroom. Whatever it is, it can't be good," Hermione muttered. "Mischief managed!"

The two fairly flew down the stairs and through the corridors, stopping in front of a girls' bathroom where they found a hunched, disheveled wizard who had something sparkling peeking out from under his long, dirty hair.

"Wormtail!" Hermione hissed as she whipped out her wand and cast, _"_ _ **Incarcerous!**_ _"_

His own wand came out just as quickly, and he batted away her spell like an insect. "Ah, the mudblood. Leave it to you to stick your dirty nose where it doesn't belong."

"It's you who doesn't belong, Pettigrew! You betrayed everything Hogwarts stands for!"

"Why, there's no place where I'm more at home than here," he replied. "Especially with that old muggle-lover gone." His wand had barely moved when a pale blue streak shot out towards them. Before Hermione could cast a shield, Mala's sword flashed and intercepted the spell.

"Stand down!" called the Amazon, her deep voice resonant with authority. "You do not belong in these halls, and you will be taken into custody!"

"Another muggle?" he asked with a sneer. "Or is this the same one that was in the news? I can't tell — muggles all look the same, after all." With that, he began to fight in earnest, firing off spells so fast that Hermione barely had time to defend herself. Mala didn't have her shield, and in the close quarters of the corridor she was unable to dodge a banishing charm that sent her crashing into a wall.

This allowed him to turn his full attention on the young witch. The level of skill he displayed was well beyond what Hermione had heard Peter Pettigrew was capable of, and she couldn't help but wonder what sort of training he'd gone through to improve so much.

 _Bone Shattering. Organ Liquefying. Brain Boiling._

A part of Hermione's mind was appalled that she recognized what some of his curses were.

 _Blood Desiccating. Eye Gouging. Magic Burning._

Another part of her mind was screaming that she needed to come up with some sort of counter, because her current strategy of dodging and shielding wouldn't be enough. Sooner or later she'd be a step too slow, and one of these curses would hit.

 _"_ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

Her internal debates came to a sudden, crashing halt when the torture curse caused every single nerve in her body to start firing in uncontrollable torment. She writhed and screamed on the floor as her entire existence shattered into nothing but agony piled upon more agony.

In his arrogance and desire to inflict pain, however, Pettigrew neglected to keep his eye on the allegedly worthless muggle — a woman who'd become very protective of Hermione over the past months.

"That's where you belong, mudblood, crawling on the ground," the rat-man taunted her. "Now it's time for you to join your filthy muggle parents. _**Avada—**_ "

" **No!** "

There was a flash of metal and Mala's sword cut through the space where Pettigrew's head was less than a second before. She missed his neck, but she managed to remove more than a few hairs, and something sparkling was sent spinning away before it hit the wall with a crack.

"Meddlesome muggle!" he screamed before casting an explosive blasting hex at the ground between him and them, sending a cloud of debris and sharp stone flying at them. When the dust cleared, he was gone and they were lying side-by-side on the floor, bleeding from small cuts everywhere.

Mala coughed as she looked around. At the far end of the corridor, she could see several students peering nervously around the corner. "Are all your patrols this exciting?" she asked. When she got no answer, she turned towards Hermione and realized that the young witch wasn't stirring at all. Staggering to her feet, she slung her friend over her shoulder and then, almost as an afterthought, grabbed the shiny object — which she now recognized as a broken tiara — before rushing to the hospital wing.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, back at the shack..._

 _"_ _ **Lacero!**_ _"_

Dumbledore's laceration curse sliced into the side of the death worm. Its hide was thick and strong, a necessity for fast travel through sand and earth, but the spell penetrated deeply enough to send a splash of thick, purple blood across the ground. The creature shrieked in pain and turned to face her attacker, giving Rose an opening.

 _"_ _ **Defodio!**_ _"_

The gouging curse didn't cut nearly as deeply as Dumbledore's spell, but it was enough to elicit another shriek. The worm turned once more, and Rose had to run around to the far side of the shack. Whatever magic Voldemort had used on the creature, it included a strong inhibition against doing anything that would damage the main structure of the building, so Rose, Dumbledore, and Diana could use it as a shield.

When the fight started, Diana had tried to take to the air, but she hadn't gotten very high before she realized that she'd quickly lose sight of the shack and therefore the battle — clearly aerial tactics were out. She hastily rejoined the others on the ground, whereupon she discovered that the hide of the monster was nearly as thick as her sword was long, limiting her effectiveness in this fight. And because of the biology of the worm, physical strikes with her hands and fists proved no more useful than blasting and bludgeoning hexes.

 _"_ _ **Lacero!**_ _"_

Fire spells were out, too — heat only invigorated the beast.

"We can't keep this up," Diana shouted at Rose.

"The Sword of Gryffindor might do it, but I can't get close enough to use it!"

Diana considered that as she narrowly avoided a loop of the worm's body which slammed down in front of her. "Do you trust me?"

Rose actually spared a moment to stare at her wife in incredulity before she was forced to duck some flying porch debris which the thrashing worm had rendered airborne. "You're asking me this **now**? Of course I trust you!"

"Then give me the sword, and wait a bit longer after you cast your next spell. Let its head get as close as possible to the ground before you dodge."

Rose hesitated only a fraction of a second before lobbing the sword's hilt towards Diana, then she pointed her wand at the worm and shouted, _"_ _ **Defodio!**_ _"_ This time she nicked the edge of the worm's mouth, slicing into the tender insides. Already hurting and enraged, the creature turned on Rose with renewed speed and fury, launching itself at her faster than anyone could have predicted. She held her ground, though, waiting until the last instant before casting another gouging hex into the onrushing chasm and diving out of the way.

When she came up again, Diana was on top of the worm, the Sword of Gryffindor buried deep in its head. She was barely holding on as it whipped back and forth high in the air, shrieking as it tried to get rid of the source of its torment. At one point Diana got jerked off her feet, the sword's crossguard catching her hard on the side of her neck. Still she pushed and twisted, using her supernatural strength to force the longer, poisoned weapon deeper into the flesh where the brain was located. Finally the beast let out a long, pitiful cry as it shuddered, then crashed lifelessly to the ground.

Diana herself had to let go and jump away before the body could roll over and crush her. Rose charged across and caught her wife as she sank to her knees, exhausted. Already a painful-looking bruise was forming alongside her throat, though Rose suspected that anyone else would have had their neck snapped by such a blow.

"Quite remarkable," Dumbledore murmured when he joined them. "Quite remarkable indeed. I don't think there's ever been a specimen this large before."

"I think it was the mother," Diana said softly. "I could sense rudimentary feelings from it, and I think it was enraged over the deaths of the others." She sighed as she shook her head. "It wasn't a monster, it was just protecting its nest. What's monstrous is what Voldemort did to these poor animals, bending them to his will."

Dumbledore nodded. "And that is probably among the least of his many crimes."

Diana took her time standing up, then walked over to retrieve Rose's sword. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she laid a hand on the side of the dead worm. After a moment, she turned back to the others. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we put an end to that man, the better off the world will be."

The snake skeleton on the door was silent when they approached this time, and Dumbledore carefully dispelled the remaining protections before vanishing the door entirely. He then cast several complex detection charms at the front room, his frown deepening with every spell he cast.

"Is there a problem?" Rose asked tiredly. "Or perhaps I should ask, what's the problem _this_ time?"

"Traps, of course," Dumbledore answered, sounding resigned. "The individual floorboards are spelled in a seemingly random pattern. Some are charmed with ostensibly minor threats, like tripping jinxes and dancing hexes. They ensure that you can't avoid the other, cursed floorboards."

"How bad is it?" Diana asked.

"So far, I've found boards with Flesh Melting Curses, Brain Boiling Curses, a couple of Self-Mutilation Curses, and... oh, my. As a young man, Tom was apparently as creative as he was fiendish."

"What do you mean?"

"I've found what appears to be a Carnivorous Kidney Curse. If I understand this correctly, it will give one of your kidneys teeth and compel it to start eating you from the inside out."

Diana winced at the image. "Can't you just get rid of them all, like you did with the door?"

"I was only able to do that once I'd countered the spells on it," Dumbledore explained, slowly shaking his head. "If I were to just vanish the floor without taking precautions first, I fear that the result would be... explosive."

"Could I fly across?"

"There's a ward below the level of the ceiling similar to the anti-apparition ward protecting the porch — it wouldn't give you much room to maneuver. Apart from that, you'd undoubtedly need one or possibly both of us to deal with whatever magic is protecting the item itself. No, I'm afraid we're going to have to do it the hard way." He turned to face Rose. "The curses seem to get worse towards the center of the room, which is presumably our goal. We will have to dispel the curses and charms on each board as we go along. Come, Mrs. Potter — it looks like it's time to put your new lessons in spell detection and curse breaking to good use."

* * *

Foot by painstaking foot, they made their way deeper into the room. While Diana stood guard, watching for possible threats, over the following two hours Rose received an accelerated course in basic and intermediate curse breaking. Voldemort may have been brilliant, but most of the protections in the shack had been placed when he was still young. There were a few hair-raising moments along the way, but between Dumbledore's extensive knowledge and Rose's ability to pick up practical magic quickly, it was simply a matter of time.

Upon reaching the center of the room, Dumbledore advised Rose to proceed much more carefully. His caution was well placed, for under a dizziness hex which she'd immediately found was a second, hidden trap that would release pressurized acid as soon as the board was lifted. Dispelling them simultaneously would have required extensive effort for a single person, but together they were able to make short work of it, thus allowing them to safely reveal a small stone box hidden under the floor.

"Impressions?" Dumbledore asked.

"Still too easy," Rose answered, casting several detection charms. "I haven't seen this curse before. It's... not physical? I think?"

Dumbledore cast the charms himself and nodded. "Indeed. It looks like a Nightmare Curse, which would cause a person to become lost in their own worst fears. If you look more deeply, however, you'll find that it's tied to a Notification Ward."

"So while you're lying here, gibbering and crying, Voldemort learns about the intrusion and comes after you personally."

"Exactly. I'm sure that he would be most eager to interrogate anyone clever or powerful enough to get this far."

"I vote that we don't give him that opportunity," Diana remarked from the doorway where she was keeping an eye out for any further threats that might come from the woods.

"I quite agree," Dumbledore said as he began to counter the spells. "Fortunately, these are among the oldest and simplest protections we've seen so far. Perhaps he returned several times to add protections as he learned more? I think... yes, that's it. The box is now safe to remove."

Rose cast a levitation charm on the prize and took it out into the clearing, where the shadows had grown long and deep. Once she set it down, Dumbledore cast his own spell to open the lid, then froze in shock for a moment before dropping to his knees in front of it.

"Professor?" Rose asked with a frown, looking back and forth between him and the ring in the box. It was a large ring with a curious black stone set on it.

"It can't be," he whispered.

"It can't be what?"

"All my life, I've sought it out, and now here it is." He appeared to be completely oblivious to her presence. "Even when I saw the memories, I didn't dare imagine..."

"Diana, there's something wrong," Rose called, and Diana jogged over from the treeline.

"Ariana?" he whispered.

"Headmaster Dumbledore?" she said in growing alarm. "Headmaster, don't touch that ring. You know what it is!"

Rather than heed her warning, the old wizard's shaking hand shot out towards the box, grasping the ring and pulling it back to his chest. "No!" he cried as he rose unsteadily to his feet. "It's mine! You won't take this chance from me!" Rose didn't even see him pull his wand, she just saw the spell lancing out towards her before she rolled to the side.

 _"_ _ **Expelliarmus!**_ _"_

Her own disarming charm sent his wand flying, but her response proved to be unnecessary because he was already on his knees, his face contorted in pain. As she watched, blackness spread out from the ring on his finger, consuming his hand and sending grey tendrils rapidly up his wrist. Rose was too shocked to move, but Diana didn't hesitate. She leapt forward and her sword flashed as she brought it down, severing his arm at the elbow.

"Diana!"

"We have no choice," she said tersely as she ripped off his sleeve. "Good — the curse didn't make it all the way up his arm." She then pulled out her golden lasso and began tying it around the stump as the old wizard collapsed on his back. "Whatever that was, it would have worked its way through the rest of his body. Maybe this will save him."

Rose nodded dumbly. "Right, OK. I'll... I'll get the ring." She turned to where the severed arm had fallen. It lay there, blackened and shriveled on the ground. Rose thought it barely looked like an arm at all, but the ring was recognizable.

And for a moment, it seemed to call to her. She only remembered her mother's voice because of what the dementors did to her, but she could swear that she heard it now, calling her name.

 _"Rose! Destroy it!"_

Rose shook her head to chase away the ghostly voices. "Right," she said, seizing the Sword of Gryffindor and bringing it down squarely across the ring, splitting the stone from the gold band. Inky smoke rose up from the band, and a hollow screaming echoed around the clearing before the smoke dissipated completely.

The gold band was a complete loss, crumbling to dust right in front of her, but the stone somehow survived. She cast several detection spells on it before deciding that it was safe. There was a lot of magic on it, but nothing that registered as dark or dangerous.

"Can you do something for his pain?" Diana asked from behind her. "I've stopped the bleeding, but he's still in agony, and we have to get him back to the castle."

Rose grabbed the stone and Dumbledore's wand, tucking them into her robes before joining Diana.

"Please..." Dumbledore's voice came out in a rasping whisper. Rose couldn't tell if he was talking to her or someone she couldn't see.

"I don't know many healing spells — certainly nothing strong enough for his injuries," Rose said with a grimace, knowing there was only one thing she could do for him. Resolutely she pulled out her wand. _"_ _ **Stupefy!**_ _"_

"I guess that will have to... what are you doing?" Diana demanded when Rose took out the stone again, turning it over in her hand as she examined it.

"The curse is gone," Rose said. "I think the horcrux was limited to the ring, not the stone."

"Are you certain? There's still something... wrong about it."

"I know. Dumbledore mentioned his sister, Ariana. And I feel like I can hear my mum and dad calling to me while I'm holding it." She prodded it with a finger, flipping it back over.

"That was the horcrux trying to tempt you, like the other one did in his office," Diana insisted.

"Then why weren't _you_ tempted?" Rose asked. "And why do I _still_ feel like they're calling to me, even after I destroyed the horcrux part?" This time the touch was almost a caress as she rolled the stone gently over in her hand, and a voice answered from behind her.

"Because we _have_ been calling out to you, sweetie."


	21. Keep Your Eye on the Money

**A/N:** As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Harry Potter: Kidnapped_ , by kb0. At a young age, Harry Potter runs away from the Dursleys and manages to make a life for himself when he's taken in by two very kind and generous young woman. Everything goes well for him until Albus Dumbledore finds him and insists that he be brought into the magical world, whether he wants to or not. Things do not go well for anyone.

 **Announcement:** I won't be publishing next weekend because I'll be out of town for a memorial service. There is a chance that this break could extend to two weeks, but that's up in the air right now.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - Keep Your Eye on the Money**

 **Late May, 1997. Little Hangleton.**

"Mum? Dad?"

Rose stared in disbelief at the two figures that had appeared behind her. She'd only ever seen her parents in photographs, but there was no denying that that was who she was looking at now, despite the fact that they didn't look entirely solid. They also seemed to float just above the bare earth of the clearing.

"Are you... how...?"

Diana rose from the unconscious Dumbledore and put a steadying hand on her wife's shoulder.

"No, Rose, we're not alive," Lily said with a sad smile. "No one can truly be returned from the dead."

"But you're not ghosts, either," Rose insisted. "You're... I mean, you have normal colors."

James nodded. "That's true, we aren't ghosts. A ghost is an imprint of a person, an echo that's been left behind after they pass on. We, on the other hand," he gestured to himself and Lily, "are actual spirits that have been called back to the world of the living."

"Called back? So you're here to stay?" Rose took a tentative step forward, but Diana's hand tightened on her shoulder, preventing her from moving far.

Lily shook her head. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but we can't. It's already uncomfortable for us to be pulled back here, and if we're here for too long, it will become very painful."

"And then there's the effect it will have on you," James continued. "The Resurrection Stone is dangerous, and people who use it frequently go mad over thoughts about loved ones who have died. Most commit suicide in order to join them permanently."

"Resurrection Stone?" Rose looked at the object in her hand and lightly traced the odd symbol that was carved into it. "So that's what this is?"

"It's one of the three Deathly Hallows," James answered. "Dumbledore has been searching for them all his life, and for the Stone in particular. It's why he succumbed so quickly to the temptation to use it."

"You should ask him about them, but don't give him the stone," Lily said. "He can't be trusted with it. And you must promise not to use this too often."

"I'll make sure Rose is careful," Diana said.

Lily smiled. "I know you will — the two of you have been good for each other. We've been pleased to see how your relationship has developed." Lily paused, then her expression darkened as she turned back to her daughter. "Not that we've forgotten _how_ you two got together, young lady!"

"Lils! It's not entirely their fault!" James put an arm around his wife to calm her.

She looked at him dubiously. "Actually, it's probably _your_ fault, given how much she takes after you." James pouted, but Lily plowed on ahead. "And they still had free will to make their own choices! Honestly — getting drunk and then getting married in Vegas?"

"Sorry," Rose mumbled.

"Your mother isn't really all that mad," James assured her in a stage whisper. "I mean, it was irresponsible, sure, but it's not like you'll be doing it again, right?" He winked.

Lily rolled her eyes at both of them.

"There's a lot we'd like to talk to you about, but we need to get Dumbledore out of here," Diana said. "My tourniquet won't hold him for much longer."

"You can call us again, but wait a few months," Lily said as Diana returned to Dumbledore and picked him up.

"Oh, and Dumbledore's wand is yours, now," James added. "Be sure to ask him about that, too!" The two spirits quickly faded away.

Rose's eyebrows had shot up into her hair at that parting remark, but Diana's words quickly brought her attention back to the present crisis. "I assume that the magical protections are still active here," the Amazon said, "so we'll have to get some distance away before using the emergency portkeys the Headmaster created. And since we don't care about coming back here, I can fly us away now."

Diana knelt so her wife could climb onto her back. Not wanting to squeeze her injured neck, Rose reached around and grabbed the only handholds available.

"You know, under any other circumstances, I'd probably take that as an invitation," Diana said with a smirk.

Despite everything that had happened, Rose couldn't suppress a grin for the entire flight back to the cemetery — though she _was_ rather glad Dumbledore was unconscious for that part. Once there, they immediately activated one of the portkeys. Because the portkey had been created by the Headmaster, and he was placed into contact with it when it activated, it brought them to his office instead of the front gates, making for short trip to the hospital wing.

* * *

"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!"

Rose's shouting brought the school's healer out of her office, but Rose barely noticed when Diana was directed to a particular bed where Dumbledore could be worked on. Instead, all of her attention was focused on the pale figure of Hermione Granger, lying in one of the beds in the back.

"Hermione!" Rose cried with a gasp, kneeling on the floor and grabbing her friend's cold hand. She looked up at Mala, who was sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed. "What happened to her?"

"Madam Pomfrey said it was the torture curse," Mala replied softly. "Plus something else that she couldn't identify."

"Who?"

Mala shook her head. "It was an intruder that we spotted on the map. Hermione called him Pettigrew."

"I'll kill that rat," Rose growled through clenched teeth.

Mala leaned forward to take Rose's hand in her own. "Don't think like that. He's already gone anyway."

Rose took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm sorry. It's just... he's caused so much harm. My parents, Sirius, and now this..."

"I understand," Mala responded, giving Rose's hand a light squeeze before leaning back in her chair.

"What's Hermione's prognosis?"

"Whatever the unidentified curse was, it caused her to fall unconscious before we got here. Madam Pomfrey said she'd probably be able to heal her quickly if she knew which curse it was, but as it is, she's only been able to treat the symptoms. She's optimistic, though." Rose nodded silently, and Mala turned to look where Pomfrey and Diana were quietly talking over Dumbledore's still form. "I take it your mission didn't go well?"

Rose shrugged. "We got what we were after, but it was a hard fight, and Dumbledore was seriously injured."

"It looks like something took his arm off."

"That was Diana, actually," Rose said, and Mala's head jerked in surprise. "It was Dumbledore's own fault, though. He touched a cursed object that started killing his hand. The curse was working its way up his arm until Diana cut it off."

"And it was a near thing, too," Diana interrupted as she walked over. "Madam Pomfrey thinks that I was able to stop the curse from killing him, but she's calling Professor Snape in to have a look."

"Why Snape?" Rose asked, frowning.

"He has far more experience with Dark Magic than she does," Diana answered. "What happened here?"

"As I was telling Rose, we encountered an intruder named Pettigrew."

Diana stiffened. "The rat who betrayed Rose's parents?"

Mala nodded. "I don't know what he was doing here, but he put up quite a fight. It took both of us working together to stop him, and even then it was a near thing."

"That's surprising," Rose interjected. "He didn't strike me as all that competent when I met him, and Sirius said that he was never as good at magic as the other Marauders."

"Maybe your dark lord has been training him?" Mala suggested.

Snape had entered the hospital wing while they were talking and made a preliminary examination of Dumbledore before turning to look at the severed arm which they'd brought along. After a few minutes, he hurried back out again.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Diana asked, wondering why he'd hurried out.

"Severus thinks it's a withering curse," she replied as she applied a salve to the Headmaster's arm. "He's pretty sure you prevented it from spreading, but he's gone to start a couple of potions that he thinks will help."

"He's not sure, though?"

"Countering the Dark Arts is no simple matter," she answered briskly. "Just because there's no outward evidence of the curse's progression doesn't mean that he's free of its effects. And those effects can vary."

"But you think he'll get better?" Mala asked.

"We'll need to keep him here and comfortable for the time being, but it will be a few days before we'll be able to determine whether and how much he'll be affected."

Mala stood and pulled Diana aside to give Rose some privacy with Hermione. "It sounds like you three had a rougher time than you expected. Are you and Rose alright?"

Diana felt gingerly around the bruise on her neck. "We're fine, though we did end up fighting a lot more than I thought we would. We—"

"Diana!" Mala exclaimed, catching the raised hand and gently touching her friend's wrist.

"What?"

"The thorns — they're gone!"

"You can see the tattoos?" Diana asked, surprised. "I thought only my mother and Hermione could see them." Then she did a double-take as she registered what Mala had said: the thorns had indeed been replaced by another golden ribbon. "You're right," she said softly, gazing at the now-completed design in wonder.

"I didn't say anything before because I knew it was so personal. That must have been some fight!"

"The three of us did have to work together," Diana acknowledged, tracing the new ribbon tattoo with her fingers. "The entire time, in fact, we had to coordinate our actions closely."

Mala nodded. "I guess that would do it. You know what this means, don't you?"

Diana looked up. "Now? This is hardly the right time—"

"It's _exactly_ the right time."

"We're physically and mentally exhausted, not to mention covered in dirt and cuts. She's worried about both her friend and the Headmaster..."

"Do you remember _our_ first time?"

Diana paused, and a slow smile spread across her face. "How could I forget?"

"We were tired, dirty..."

"...And covered in scrapes and cuts..."

Mala gently gripped Diana's hand in both of hers. "Hermione and the Headmaster are ill, but they'll both get better. There's nothing either of you can do for them here. There is, however, something the two of you can do for each other."

Diana nodded, conceding the point. "I guess there really is no better time."

"Would you like me to stand witness?"

Diana's eyes glistened. "Would you? Do you feel up to it?"

"My injuries are not so great."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know." Mala looked wistful as she reached out and gently caressed Diana's cheek. "But I am happy for you."

"Thank you," Diana said softly, reaching out and embracing the other Amazon. After a moment they separated, and Diana turned back to where Rose was still kneeling by Hermione's bed. "Rose," she called. "We still have something to take care of."

"Can't it wait?" Rose replied, frowning.

"I'm afraid not."

With a sigh, Rose stood and accompanied the two Amazons out of the hospital wing. "What's so important that we have to take care of it now?"

"Have you looked at your wrist lately?" Diana asked.

"No," Rose said as she looked down, then she gasped. "The thorns are gone! What does that mean?"

"As far as we know, no situation quite like this has ever happened before," Diana said. "However, it's traditional that when two Amazons agree that they've completed the trials symbolized by the ribbons and thorns, they commemorate their union with a romantic celebration."

"Cool!" Rose exclaimed, still admiring her tattoo. Then she looked up at Mala and frowned. "Uh, please don't take this the wrong way, but why are _you_ coming along?"

Over Diana's laughter, Mala answered, "Both to stand as witness to the successful end of your courtship and to guard against things getting out of hand. In the heat of passion, you two might go too far."

Rose gave her a look that was frankly disbelieving, "Yeah, but... isn't that kinda the whole point?"

* * *

"When you said that we'd have a 'romantic celebration,' this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Rose grumbled, looking askance at Diana, who was standing on the other side of the circle that the Room of Requirement had provided them. It looked to be the same size as the one in which she'd fought Io so many months ago. "I was thinking, y'know, flowers, a little dancing..."

"For Amazons, this _is_ romance!" Mala assured her. "Are you two ready?"

"Whatever happened to candlelit dinners? Or chocolate?" Rose muttered before raising her sword. Diana did the same. _I don't stand a chance against Diana even when I'm fully rested and at my best. But now? Even with magic, I don't see how I'll be much of a challenge to her. What's the point? Why is she doing this?_

"Begin!"

Before Mala had even finished the last syllable, Diana had launched herself across the circle, forcing Rose to roll to the side.

 _"_ _ **Reducto!**_ _"_ she incanted, but Diana dove over the spell as it passed by harmlessly. Still, it gave Rose time to regain her feet and adopt a fighting stance. She swayed slightly from exhaustion as she hefted her shield in time to block a powerful blow from Diana's sword. Rose's arm shuddered under the impact, but she managed to keep from going to her knees. _Damn — she's not exactly holding back, is she? What is she doing? Maybe I can find a way to end this quickly..._

 _"_ _ **Depulso!**_ _"_ Rose cried, sending Diana flying backwards. She followed up with a lunging attack, but Diana was ready, blocking with her own sword. With a deft twist, she sent Rose's sword spinning away. Diana then bashed her shield against Rose's, sending the young witch to the ground as effectively as a banishing charm.

In an instant, Diana was upon her, her sword at Rose's throat.

"Do you give up?"

"No!"

Diana leaned in closer. "Do you submit?"

Rose glared back at her. "I already said no!"

Diana's face fell. There was something in her expression that seemed out of place — was it sadness? Disappointment? Rose dismissed the question when she felt the grip against her throat slacken. She shoved the sword away and rolled out from under the Amazon as she summoned her wand back to her hand.

In a flash she was on her feet, standing above Diana, who for some reason still hadn't moved. Rose didn't waste any time in tackling her, holding the glowing wand tip close to the unresisting woman's head.

"Do _you_ submit?" Rose demanded.

"To you and your love?" She met her gaze steadily. "Yes."

As Rose stared into Diana's eyes, she saw trust there. And tenderness. And unwavering strength. And she thought that, just maybe, she was beginning to understand.

The battle forgotten, Rose pulled Diana into a fierce kiss while her free hand yanked at their armor. Mala smiled sadly and backed away as the two lovers shed their clothing. She had a number of wounds to tend to, both old and new, and felt it best to do so in private.

* * *

"Wow," Rose said between labored breaths as she stared up at the ceiling. "That was... that was..."

"Spectacular? Phenomenal? Wondrous?"

"Yeah, that."

"I enjoyed it too," Diana responded, smiling. "I tried to repeat our wedding night as closely as I could."

Rose turned her head to look at her wife. "Really? That's what it was like?" Diana nodded. "Wow. No wonder you were so happy the next morning."

"And eager for more, don't forget."

"Yeah," Rose said, looking back up at the ceiling. "Definitely more." The two women fell silent for a minute, the only sound their breathing as it gradually returned to normal.

"Do you understand, now?" Diana asked.

"About?"

"Submission. And love."

Rose sighed. "Maybe. It's just that the way you use the word still feels so... foreign."

"No less foreign than the way you use it feels to me," Diana assured her. "Here in Patriarch's World, submission is something the strong force on the weak as a way to exercise their power and to exploit others. It's something the weak do out of fear, or as a means to someday achieve their own power."

"It's what my life was like at the Dursleys," Rose said. "And it didn't get much better here at Hogwarts."

"But that's not how we Amazons on Paradise Island live," Diana said. She pushed herself up on one elbow and reached over, cupping Rose's cheek and turning her head gently to face her. "For us, loving submission is done to those we trust, not those we fear. Submitting out of love is an open, deliberate acknowledgment of the power that love gives someone over us. It's not power in terms of money, magic, or muscle — it's the power of the love itself, because no one can hurt us more than the ones we love most. Every act of love is thus an act of submission, one in which you set aside your ego and allow yourself to be completely vulnerable, even as you put the other person first."

Rose closed her eyes and leaned into Diana's touch. "I understand, intellectually," she finally said. It's just... I'll need time to get over my knee-jerk reaction to that word." They were silent for several long moments before Rose spoke again. "So, if our courtship is successfully complete, does this mean that our marriage is finalized? I mean, even though we kinda got those two in reverse order?"

Diana sighed and lay back down. "I suppose I should confess something to you. As far as I'm concerned, the only 'finalizing' of our marriage happened when we consummated it back in Las Vegas. For Amazons, marriage is for life — there is no such thing as annulment or divorce. That's why we have a long, complicated courtship, to ensure that those involved are truly compatible."

Rose turned to look at her wife again. "So, it's forever?" At Diana's nod, she smiled contentedly. "I'm fine with that."

Diana pushed herself up on one elbow again and reached out to brush some hair away from Rose's forehead. "Your scar looks a little thinner," she said, puzzled. "Not much, but a little. It feels warm, too. Did you do something to it?"

"No. I haven't noticed anything, though I try not to look at it much, frankly." Rose frowned. "It did burn for a few minutes earlier, but, well, I was preoccupied at the time."

"Maybe it's a trick of the light," Diana said with a slight shrug. Her fingers moved to caress Rose's cheek. "Do you feel up for more, or have I tired you out already?"

"How long did I last on our wedding night?"

"Oh, far longer than this."

"Well, then, let's see if I can do better sober than drunk..."

* * *

Voldemort gripped his head tightly as he sat on the floor, trying to figure out what to do. The pain had started again earlier, and rather than simply put up with it, he'd attempted to use his newly-won stability to fight back. At first he thought he was successful and he felt himself gain access to her mind for the first time since the fight in the Ministry.

Before he could take advantage of that, however, he felt himself being crushed under some great weight, then he was back in his own body where he was physically hurled against the wall of his chambers. Whatever benefits the reconstruction of his soul were providing, they weren't enough. Not yet.

And it would be a while before he could advance much further. Pettigrew had yet to return from Hogwarts with the diadem, and he still needed to draw the runes for the next ritual. The only bright spot was the fact that the pain caused by his failed attack had lessened gradually over the course of the night.

"Once I complete the ritual with the diadem, I'll go fetch the locket," he whispered to Nagini, who had stayed by him to keep him company. "That should restore me enough to resist whatever it is that Potter has been—"

A knock at his door interrupted him. He forced himself to stand before calling, "Come!" He watched disdainfully as Thaddeus Nott entered and knelt. "Has Wormtail arrived?"

"No, my Lord," the Death Eater responded.

Voldemort suppressed a growl. "I thought I said that I wasn't to be disturbed for any other reason!"

"My Lord, I received an owl from my son. According to him, there's a rumor going around Hogwarts that Pettigrew was in the castle yesterday. He fought at least two people, then fled."

"Yesterday?" Voldemort hissed.

"Y-yes, my Lord."

"Give me your arm!" Voldemort commanded as he approached Nott. Twisting the man's wrist to expose the Dark Mark, he pressed his wand into the mark and pushed hard with his magic. Nott whimpered in pain as Voldemort called out to his missing servant. After several long minutes, he dropped Nott's arm in disgust.

"Nothing! Did your son say anything about Pettigrew being wounded?"

"N-no, my Lord."

"Write back and insist that he investigate. I want to know everything that happened there yesterday. Everything! I expect more than I got from the Malfoy whelp, do you understand? Then contact your people in the Ministry. Find out what you can about any arrests or new prisoners in the past day." He ignored Nott's stammered apologies and promises, focusing instead on the problem that had just been presented to him. Nothing short of death or incarceration should have prevented one of his servants from being summoned. So what happened to him? Did he die of injuries sustained in the fight? Had he been picked up by aurors?

And even more importantly, did Pettigrew have the diadem when he fled the castle, or was it still secure on the seventh floor? He had to know! _Severus would surely know, but calling him in is risky. No, I'll wait to hear what Nott has to say, then I'll decide whether it's worth going that far._

Nagini hissed loudly, and Voldemort reached down to stroke her. "Yes, my sweet. Wormtail has clearly outlived his usefulness. Once he tells me what I need to know, I promise you'll get a big, juicy rat to eat."

* * *

Professor Snape's scowl deepened, but otherwise he refused to acknowledge Rose's existence when they passed each other at the hospital wing entrance. She barely noticed. It had been several days since she and Diana had truly consummated their relationship, and Rose had spent every night since in Diana's quarters. She hadn't been this happy since before Hogwarts started... so long as she didn't think too hard about events in Little Hangleton and the fact that Dumbledore had been in something of a coma ever since. She'd only just heard from her head of house that he'd awakened.

"Professor McGonagall said you wanted to see me, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore gestured for Rose to take a seat next to the hospital bed. "I wish to begin by thanking you and your wife for saving me. According to Professor Snape, I was afflicted by a withering curse — a nasty piece of dark magic that is incredibly difficult to counter." He held up the stump of his right arm. "Mrs. Black's rather unorthodox method of dealing with it seems to have prevented it from spreading further, something which he tells me I would not have survived."

"So, you'll recover?" Rose asked, some of the tension leaving her.

"I'll live," he responded, trailing off at the end in a way that didn't sound particularly reassuring.

"...But?"

"It was impossible to counter all of the effects of the curse. Without your wife's quick action, the best I could have hoped for is another year at most, probably less. And that's assuming I'd made it back here immediately."

"And now?" Rose felt her chest tighten again.

"Difficult to say. My lifespan has certainly been shortened, but I don't know by how much. According to Professor Snape, I should have another five to ten years, if I take it easy. Considering the tasks I still have ahead of me, he estimates perhaps another two or three years at my usual pace. And in those years, I should expect to feel weaker on the whole, with some days being worse than others."

Rose flinched. "I'm so sorry. I should have acted faster. I should—"

Dumbledore held up his left hand to stop her. "No, my dear, none of the blame for this lies with you. My injury is due entirely to my own actions. If I had not been so focused on talking to someone who was best left undisturbed, I would not be in this position. I was being selfish."

"Ariana," Rose said, and Dumbledore nodded slowly. "So, you remember what happened? Diana and I weren't sure if you would. You didn't seem to be entirely in control there at the end."

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, unfortunately, I can remember everything up until shortly before I must have passed out from the pain. Though for much of it, it felt more like I was a passenger in my own body. I didn't, as you say, feel entirely in control. But I do remember it."

"So, you know what the stone was?" Rose asked cautiously.

"And do you?"

Rose nodded. "I accidentally activated it."

"Oh, dear," Dumbledore responded, his expression turning sad. "Who was it?"

"My parents."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm not surprised. I'm sorry you had to endure that."

Rose tilted her head slightly to one side. "Endure? It was a surprise, that's for sure, but it wasn't painful. Well, it wasn't entirely pleasant, either, since they couldn't stay, but it didn't exactly hurt."

"Indeed?" Dumbledore remarked. "Most of the stories about the stone indicate that it can be rather traumatic for users, despite the incredible pull to keep using it. I wonder why it affected you differently."

"I don't know, but they did say that I shouldn't use it too often. They recommended only calling them a couple of times a year."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, a light growing in his eyes. "Maybe that's the key: to limit its use. I only need to—"

"No," Rose interrupted. "I'm sorry, but they were clear that you should not be allowed to have it. It's not even in the castle."

He blinked, then a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Perhaps that's for the best. Your parents always were very intelligent, and I imagine that their advice on matters such as this is particularly well-informed."

"They also had a recommendation about this," Rose said, pulling a familiar wand from her robe.

"Ah."

"According to them, it's mine now, but that doesn't make any sense."

Dumbledore looked at her quizzically for a moment, then he smiled. "I'd forgotten that we don't teach much about wandlore. A change which the Board of Governors forced upon the school and which I vehemently disagreed with at the time."

"Wandlore?"

"A complex and mysterious area of magic," the old professor explained, warming to his subject. "I assume that Mr. Ollivander told you that the wand chooses the witch or wizard?" Rose nodded. "Choice, true choice, is something only applicable to beings which are at least partially sentient. A wand is not a person nor fully sentient like we are, but neither is it a mere enchanted object or a creature that operates on instinct. It makes choices and creates a bond with the witch or wizard who wields it. And such bonds can be severed."

"Is that what happened?"

He nodded. "Wands can be won or lost. Or rather, their _allegiance_ can be won or lost. It doesn't happen when students practice spells against each other, for the wands somehow understand that there isn't true desire on the part of the victor to subjugate the loser."

"Will and intent," Rose put in.

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Five points to Gryffindor."

"But I wasn't trying to hurt you or anything," she objected. "I was only trying to stop you—"

"You were attempting to impose your will over my own," the old wizard said. "I intended to do one thing, and you intended that I not... that I do something else. You won that contest of wills, and as a consequence, my wand now recognizes you as its master."

"How would my parents know that, though?" Rose asked.

"Probably for the same reason that they understood about the Stone," Dumbledore answered, looking at her carefully.

Rose frowned, but suddenly her eyes went wide. She looked down at the wand, then back up at Dumbledore again. "You mean, this is..."

"One of the three," Dumbledore confirmed. "Do you understand what they are? What they represent?"

"I tried to do some research," Rose admitted. "Eventually Luna figured out what I was looking for and pointed me to a children's story. I didn't think it could be related, but she insisted that many witches and wizards believe that the objects are real. According to her, some have spent their entire lives searching for them. Including her father."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Miss Lovegood is quite correct. I, too, have searched for them. I ended up possessing one, and spent some time studying a second, but the third eluded me until a week ago." He raised his arm and regarded his missing hand thoughtfully. "It probably would have been best if it had continued to do so."

Rose stared at him for a long moment. "So, the cloak?"

His gaze met hers again. "Indeed. It was never mine, however. It is yours, as are the other two. And like the wand, I suspect that the other two might understand this on some level."

"And what does that mean?"

The old man sighed. "I'm afraid I do not know the answer to that. I don't think anyone does, for the three have never been possessed by the same person at the same time, at least as far as I know. But I recommend that you proceed with caution."

Rose thought about it, then she held out the wand. "Maybe you should take this back, then."

"A wand cannot simply be handed over," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "It must be won, and I am in no shape for combat." Rose frowned, but before she could object again, he changed the subject. "I assume you've heard that Pettigrew was in the castle while we were gone?"

Rose nodded. "Hermione and Mala told us about it."

"He was sent here by the Dark Lord to retrieve something. One of the items we have been hunting for."

Rose's eyes grew wide. "Did he get it?"

"Yes and no," Dumbledore said cryptically. He pulled from beneath his blanket the two halves of a broken diadem. "This is the object he sought, but it no longer registers as dark."

"It's broken. Did Mala's sword destroy it like the Sword of Gryffindor destroyed the other one?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I do not believe so. Amazonian blades may be magical, but they should not be powerful enough to break the enchantments that Voldemort would have placed on this."

"Then what happened? If that's not... I mean, if the piece is no longer in there, then where is it?"

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "I have my suspicions, but I'd rather not discuss them at this time."

"So, does this mean that Pettigrew failed or succeeded? What will Voldemort do?"

"Voldemort no longer appears to trust Professor Snape enough to call him and bring him into his confidence. That's another problem we have not addressed. Fortunately, he has been able to glean some scraps of information from his contacts. According to them, their master is furious. He's under the impression that Pettigrew somehow managed to fight me to a draw. Pettigrew was seen running from the castle with obvious injuries, and I was brought to the hospital wing shortly thereafter. Someone put two and two together, only to arrive at seven."

"What does that mean for us?"

"He believes me to be injured; we can use that to our advantage. I intend for us to play up my injuries and make it appear to the rest of the world that I have been greatly weakened. If he thinks I'm less of a threat, he might be tempted to attack Hogwarts personally. Pettigrew has not returned to him, and if that continues to be the case, then Voldemort may believe that there is something in the castle which he badly wants." Dumbledore held up the pieces of the diadem.

"You want to encourage him to attack the school?"

"I don't think he'd make a serious move against the castle until summer," Dumbledore insisted. "That's when security is lightest and there are fewer people here. And if he thinks that my health is continuing to deteriorate, he'll delay until I'm even weaker and less able to oppose him. He's never been the sort to act rashly."

"And I take it that you have a plan to stop him?"

"We'll use the time to confirm that the wards are as strong as possible, and he must not learn how strong they are. We can also take steps to ensure that you, Mrs. Black, and Mala are here, as well as several members of the Order. I'll talk to Minister Scrimgeour and Madam Bones about having aurors on call and ready to come to our aid. By then, they will hopefully be able to spare a few on a rotating basis. All together, I think we might be able to surprise him."

Rose stared hard at him, then held out the wand. "Then you definitely need this."

"Mrs. Potter, I already said—"

She shoved the wand at him again. "I know what you said, but if the stories are right then you'll need this. In your weakened state, you'll need the strongest weapon you can get. And you'll be able to make far better use of this than I will. Please, just try it at least?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily and took the wand in his left hand. Almost immediately, his eyebrows rose. "What a curious feeling!"

"Is it still yours?" Rose asked.

"No," Dumbledore replied. "It resists me. I can tell that it isn't nearly as accepting of me as before. However it is... accommodating. Reluctantly, perhaps, but accommodating."

"So you can use it?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, I can. But only for now. I will simply consider this a loan until the current crisis has passed, at which point I will return it to you."

"Fine. In the meantime, you can tell me what you know about these three objects. If you've been searching for them for so long, you must have learned a few things."

"I suppose I did," he began, "though I must caution you that much of what I know is only speculation and guesswork..."

* * *

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

Hermione nodded. "I still have another week of potions to take, but I'm ready. I didn't fight nearly as well as I should have and need to improve."

Rose responded with a tight smile. "I know the feeling." Behind her, Diana snorted in amusement.

"But how about you? How are you doing?"

Rose shrugged. "I'm fine now. I wasn't hurt nearly as badly as you."

"You're looking better." Hermione's attention was suddenly caught by something, and she pushed aside Rose's bangs. "Your scar! What happened to it?"

Rose reached up to touch her forehead where just the faintest hint of a scar remained. "I don't know. It started to fade shortly after we got back with the Headmaster. After about a week, this is all that's left."

"Have you told Professor Dumbledore?"

"He noticed on his own and was interested."

"Far too interested," Diana interjected with a scowl. "But he wouldn't tell us what was so important, either about the scar itself or about its sudden disappearance."

"Diana doesn't like the fact that he's keeping secrets again," Rose said. "I'll admit I'm not happy about it either, but the Headmaster was upbeat about my scar fading. So whatever it is that he's keeping to himself, I doubt it can be bad."

"And you have no idea how it happened?" Hermione asked.

"It started the same time our courtship completed," Rose said, holding out her wrist and revealing that her tattoo now consisted entirely of intertwined golden ribbons. "We're not sure why that would matter, but we doubt that it's completely coincidental."

"Oooh!" Hermione squealed in delight, taking Rose's hand and gently tracing the tattooed ribbons. "That's so great! Did you celebrate? What did you do?"

Rose's cheeks tinged with pink. "Yes, we, uh, celebrated."

Hermione looked up again and blushed herself. "Oh? Oh! Uh, right. I, uh, hope you at least used silencing charms this time!"

"Hah!" Rose and Hermione jumped slightly when Mala made her presence known. "They disturbed half the castle with their antics! I'm pretty sure they do it on purpose, if only to make the rest of us jealous."

"Mala!" Diana scolded. "That's not true!"

"Oh? Which part?"

Diana sputtered for a moment before finally saying, "Let's just get the practice started. Hermione's right that she needs more work."

"Drills?" Mala asked, still smirking.

Diana nodded, and the two young witches got into position. Alternating back and forth, Diana and Mala called out a series of Amazonian fighting moves. Rose and Hermione were expected to perform the maneuvers, whether they were stances, strikes, or evasions, as quickly and smoothly as possible. Months of training on these tactics meant that the two witches had become proficient at them, but it was still a challenge to gracefully flow from one into another when they didn't know until the last second what the next would be.

"Echephyle's Withdrawal!"

They both did backwards rolls and came up in a defensive stance.

"Aello's Attack!"

They rolled left then performed a sweeping motion with their legs, knocking down imaginary opponents.

"Prothoe's Roll!"

They rolled forward under an imaginary attack before rising to their feet and striking upward with their swords.

After a while, they switched to hand-to-hand practice. Diana worked with Hermione while Mala worked with Rose to ensure that neither of the witches became accustomed to the habits of one opponent. Another two hours passed before they left the Room of Requirement, covered in a sheen of sweat and faces flushed from exertion.

* * *

 **Little Hangleton.**

Voldemort scowled nearly the entire time he trudged through the dense underbrush. He hated the area with a passion and wondered what had possessed him to hide a horcrux here. He didn't have a single good memory of the place, except perhaps for those few moments when he killed all of his relatives. It had been nearly a month since Pettigrew's disappearance, though, and he couldn't wait any longer for his servants to find him. He needed a horcrux in order to proceed with the next ritual.

 _"Are we there yet? I'm tired."_

The non-stop grumbling from Nagini wasn't helping matters, either.

It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd been able to apparate in directly rather than be forced to traverse this accursed ground. Unfortunately, all he'd managed to do was key himself in so he could pass through them without tripping any of the defenses, not travel in via apparition or portkey. The nature of the final set of wards didn't allow for anything else.

It wasn't the bad memories that were making him increasingly upset, but rather the fact that most of the protections he'd left behind were either fading rapidly or already gone. Granted, he'd been fairly young when he placed them, so it wasn't surprising that they wouldn't be a strong as something he'd have cast when he was in his prime. But still, they should have lasted longer than this. He'd been young, not incompetent!

 _"It's too cold here. My skin itches. I'm hungry."_

Unless, of course, the fault hadn't been with his spellcasting. But that would mean that there was some other reason for so many of his protections to be absent...

When the clearing surrounding the Gaunt shack came into view, Voldemort stopped dead and gaped at the sight.

 _"Death,"_ Nagini hissed, now much more alert. _"Blood and death!"_

Slowly, he picked his way through the last few meters of forest and into the midst of a dozen rotting Mongolian death worms. They were all covered with massive wounds that had obviously been inflicted by other worms, but Voldemort was no fool. He'd detected that the wards around the clearing were still intact — among the few protections that still were — which meant that the worms should have avoided each other.

 _"Hominem Revelio!"_

He looked around and found no indication that anyone was still there. His feet began moving more quickly as he headed for the shack itself. Inside, it was still mostly as he remembered it. The room was run-down, and the furniture looked even more broken down than before, but on the whole...

Then he saw it. In the middle of what passed for the living room, several floorboards had been torn up and a small box was sitting there. A small, empty box. The absence of so many of the curses he'd left in the flooring simply underscored the obvious story of what had happened: someone had not only stolen one of his horcruxes, but they had done so with skill and preparation.

Someone _knew._

He was prepared to vent his anger on the dilapidated shack when he felt a tingling in the local magic.

 _"Intruder,"_ Nagini hissed, her tongue flicking in and out rapidly. _"Hurry!"_

Voldemort was back outside with a raised wand, ready to attack whoever had penetrated what remained of his defenses. With any luck, it might be the thief. His wand was raised high, but the curse got stuck in his throat when he saw who was sneaking around the corpses.

" **Wormtail!** "

Faster than he'd ever have thought possible, Pettigrew's arm came up and several curses flew through the air. Voldemort barely had time to dodge out of the way. When he was back on his feet, his own return curses passed through empty air, having been cast too late to catch the wizard before he ran out of the clearing and apparated away.

Voldemort seethed as he walked forward to where he'd first seen Pettigrew. _What was he doing here? Was he following me? Or was he already here? No, if he'd arrived after I did, I'd have felt him pass through the wards. They'd have warned me about anyone other than me entering. He must have been hiding as a rat_ — _that's why I didn't find him!_

He paused to examine the state of the worm corpses more closely. _These beasts have to have been dead nearly a month, which is about how long Peter was gone. I can't believe he was able to kill them, but I wouldn't have expected him to be able to get the drop on me, either. Clearly he's been hiding his true skills!_

Voldemort looked back at the shack, then turned to look at where Pettigrew had gone. _I can't be sure it was him... but if not him, then who else? He could have learned about them from watching me and listening in when I spoke to Nagini. If he's been hiding his real power, then he's been hiding his real intelligence, too. But what's his game? Why did he take it, and what does he plan to do with it? And why was he still here?_

Abruptly he sucked in a breath as realization hit. _How many does he already have? Did he get the one in Hogwarts? I must find out!_

 _"Traitorous rat man!"_ Nagini hissed.

"Indeed," Voldemort hissed back. "Next time you see him, you'll definitely be feasting on rat. But first, I must advance my plans even more quickly. I must get to Hogwarts!"

* * *

 **Location: Unknown.**

Peter Pettigrew sat up, feeling groggy and ill. He didn't recognize where he was and had no idea how he'd gotten there. Putting one hand to his aching head, he slowly rubbed it as he tried to figure out what had happened.

 _I was... I was supposed to do something? A mission! Yes, that's it, I had a mission. But to do what?_ He paused to lick his lips as memories slowly started coming back to him. _I had to get something, didn't I? Yes, that's right. I had to go to... Hogwarts! The Master sent me to Hogwarts to retrieve... something. What was it?_

He looked around, noting that he was in some sort of forest, though he had no idea where. _I'm not in Hogwarts, am I? So did I succeed? I remember entering the castle, and then... what? Pain, I think. Yes, there was pain. Then... nothing. Nothing at all, at least not until..._ Peter gulped, feeling his memories shift away from Hogwarts and into an unfamiliar clearing. _There was a shack, and huge, dead animals. Then... then the Dark Lord appeared!_

Peter started shaking all over when he remembered casting a spell at the Dark Lord. _No! Why did I do that? Why would I ever_ —

Both of Peter's hands shot to his head, and he bent over as pain lanced through his skull. It was all he could do not to scream in agony. Then, just as suddenly, the pain was gone.

When he opened his eyes again, they were red.

 _Yes, that abomination was there. He must have been there to retrieve the anchor, and judging from all the death and destruction that surrounded him, he wasn't worthy of doing so._ The short, dumpy man slowly stood and stretched. _If this host's memories of that ritual room are accurate, there's only one thing he could be doing: trying to destroy my anchors in order to reconstruct a soul. Well, we can't have that, can we?_

Peter's wand shot into his hand and he cast a silent blasting hex, destroying a large tree. "No one defies Lord Voldemort and gets away with it!" He giggled briefly before a fit of uncontrollable coughing shook him. Once he was able to breathe normally again, he put his wand away and apparated out of the forest.


	22. All In

**A/N:** Well, this is it. The big one. The one you've all been waiting for. Like in _Heart and Soul_ , the final confrontation in this story will span two chapters. Not everyone survives, but the body count won't be as bad as _Heart and Soul_ , so there is that. You may have noticed that this is a long chapter. The next one will be _longer_. By about a third. It's not ideal, but I figured you wouldn't want me to drag this out over three or four chapters, with all the attending cliff hangers. You're welcome.

As always, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading this and making it much better than it would have been had I simply been left to my own devices. Thanks as well to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have been enjoying it. If you have questions or concerns about what's going on, feel free to include them in a review or a PM — I'll try to answer.

 **Recommendation:** _Something Like Your Family_ , by Luan Mao. When he arrived at Hogwarts, Harry Potter was informed that his house would be "something like your family within Hogwarts." McGonagall intended this to be a positive statement, but Harry never had good experiences with his family. Turns out, McGonagall was completely correct, from Harry's perspective.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 22 - All In**

 **June, 1997. Hospital Wing, Hogwarts.**

Albus Dumbledore sat bolt upright in his bed, uncertain at first where he was or what had dragged him from sleep. He blinked hard several times, then remembered that he was in the hospital wing and had been for weeks. Mainly this was because he needed to convince anyone who was watching that his health was worse than it really was (though truth be told, it wasn't very good anyway). As he looked around, he realized what was so wrong that it had startled him awake despite the absurdly early hour.

It was the owls.

He recognized them, of course. As headmaster, he was familiar with not only the school owls, but also the many students' owls that resided in the owlery during the school year. That was the problem, though: they all seemed to be in the hospital wing rather than the owlery. And they were making enough noise to wake the dead, never mind ill headmasters.

 **Hoot! Hoot! Preck! Hoot! Bark!**

Some were perched on his bed and headboard. Some were sitting in the open windows. Still more were flying around the large, open room. One small and especially excitable owl was doing circles above his head, hooting up a storm.

 **Hoot! Bark! Hoot! Hoot!**

"Headmaster!" Madam Pomfrey's decidedly less-than-dulcet tones were almost lost in the owl cacophony. "Headmaster! What on earth are you doing in here?"

Dumbledore returned his school healer's glare with an expression that was equal parts consternation and puzzlement. "Madam Pomfrey, I can assure you that I have no more understanding of what's going on here than you. I woke up to—" His hand shot up and seized the tiny, annoying owl in a firm grip. It hardly seemed to even notice and continued hooting anxiously. "I woke just moments ago to find all of this." He gestured with his stump, not wanting to give the little owl in his hand any excuse to get worse.

Madam Pomfrey crossed her arms and raised a skeptical eyebrow. Before she could respond, the already-battered door burst open. Diana Black came charging in, followed by several more owls that swooped in and joined their brethren, all of whom quickly fell silent.

"Mrs. Black?"

"There are a large number of black-cloaked people in Hogsmeade," Diana said without preamble. "I'm told that they smell of evil and dark magic."

"Told?" the Headmaster asked. "By whom?" The little owl in his hand, which he'd quite forgotten about, began chirping and hooting wildly again.

"By my friends," Diana said with a grim smile. "There are also other creatures on the outskirts of the village, moving this way. They're tall, about twice as tall as a human, and carrying huge sticks."

Dumbledore grimaced. "Trolls. Trolls and Death Eaters, if I'm not mistaken."

Diana nodded. "My thoughts as well, though you were certain that he'd not try anything while school was still in session."

"Indeed. Something has caused him to move far more quickly than I'd anticipated. Whatever it is, we can only hope it ultimately works to our benefit."

"How could it?" Diana asked. She glanced sidelong at the school's healer before saying obliquely, "We still haven't found all of the objects he cursed."

"True, and I had hoped that the time left to us would be enough to complete that task," Dumbledore said as he heaved himself out of bed. "But if we can defeat him today, we'll at least buy ourselves some time. Time enough to destroy the rest of them."

"Headmaster, are you certain you should—"

"I'll manage, Poppy," he replied, suppressing a wince at the pain which continued to afflict him. Though much reduced from what it had been at first, it was still a significant distraction. He looked to Diana and said, "You should get yourself ready. I'll send messages to the rest of the staff to meet in the Great Hall." Diana nodded and rushed out of the hospital wing; mercifully, the owls took that as their cue to depart as well.

"I expect my services are about to be in demand," Pomfrey muttered, turning and heading for her stockroom.

* * *

 **Hogsmeade.**

Voldemort stood in the middle of an empty central square, idly tapping his wand against his thigh as he watched his servants carry out his plan. All around him, Death Eaters were casting strong sleeping charms on the houses to keep the residents out of the way. On the outskirts, others were casting anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards. With the floo network still out due to the damage at the Ministry, no one would be getting in or out.

Such non-lethal tactics were out of character for him, but he needed surprise more than anything else when his forces reached the castle. He couldn't risk any sort of warning getting out, as apparently happened during the ill-fated attack which Bellatrix had led. They could destroy Hogsmeade once he was finished with Hogwarts.

A number of large, dark shadows lumbered down the street. He'd only had time to collect a single band of a dozen trolls, several of whom would have to remain behind to patrol the streets; none of the giants he'd hoped to recruit had arrived. _Months_ of careful planning had gone into this strategy, yet now it was being rushed due to his fears about Wormtail, and certain elements were simply not in place yet. _Wormtail!_ he seethed. _What is your game? When I get my hands on you..._

"Master!" Voldemort looked down at the shaking Death Eater who had interrupted his thoughts. A few steps back were several other Death Eaters, all bowing low and shaking just as much.

It took a moment for him to remember what their mission had been, and a quick glance around gave him a good idea of why they were so terrified. "I gave you a simple job, one that even a child should have been able to complete. Where is Greyback?"

"W-we went where you t-told us to," he stammered. "And we f-found him... we think."

"Explain."

"There were just bits and pieces, Master! Everywhere in that house! At least, in the parts of the house that weren't destroyed!"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Dead? All of the werewolves?"

"I d-don't know for sure, but I d-don't think so. There weren't enough pieces. I think it was a half-dozen or so. But there was no sign of anyone else."

Voldemort began tapping his wand against his thigh again, more rapidly this time. "It looks as though someone took over the pack and removed them. How do you know Greyback was one of the victims?"

The Death Eater swallowed audibly. "H-his head. It was on a pike out front."

 _That_ didn't sound like any werewolves he knew. "How long?"

"A month or two, easily."

Which would explain why Greyback had been silent for so long. He'd assumed that the werewolf had been too busy recruiting new members, exactly as he'd been ordered to do, but apparently something had gone very, very wrong. _Pettigrew again? I'd never have thought him strong enough to take on any werewolf, much less one like Greyback, but the last time we met he demonstrated that he's been hiding his true potential._

Voldemort was considering which curse to use to express his ire when he was interrupted again.

"My Lord?

He turned his attention to Rookwood, the Death Eater he'd given command of what was probably the second most important aspect of the plan. It was also the part that had been most hastily cobbled together.

"We've secured Honeydukes and are about to get into position. Do you have any final instructions?"

"You're confident that you can do this?" he asked, fixing his servant with a gaze that brooked no deception. "This entire attack hinges on your ability to get into the headmaster's office in a timely fashion. I will distract them on the outside for as long as possible, but if you cannot bring down the wards before you are detected or my forces suffer too many losses..."

"The wards will fall, I assure you," Rookwood said, bending down in a deep bow. "If the Headmaster is as weak as they say, I shouldn't have any trouble. But..."

"But?"

"The wards, my Lord. Can you not feel them?"

Voldemort looked back at the castle and focused once more on the unpleasant tingling that he'd been experiencing ever since he'd arrived in Hogsmeade. "Of course," he said in clipped tones. "What about them?"

"The castle wards shouldn't be this strong," Rookwood explained. "We shouldn't be able to perceive them this far out, not even if the staff were alerted to our presence."

"So they are stronger than anticipated," Voldemort concluded flatly. "He can't possibly have known about our plans in advance, so Dumbledore has been making preparations, just in case of an attack."

"Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort clenched his jaw. _Would_ _ **nothing**_ _go right this night?_

Aloud, he said only, "This is... unexpected, but it shouldn't affect your mission. Take the polyjuice as soon as you enter the tunnel, however."

"Yes, my Lord, but still..." Rookwood hesitated. "It would be easier if I had the help of Rodolphus and Rabastan. I still don't understand why you're sending them in as well if they aren't going to help—"

"If I wanted you to understand, I'd have informed you," Voldemort snapped. "They will join you once their own mission is complete — a mission even more critical than yours. But you are not to ask them about it, understood?"

"Yes, my Lord, perfectly," Rookwood replied. He sounded cowed, but it was tempting to eliminate the wizard anyway. As a former Unspeakable, there was too great a risk that he'd recognize the diadem. Even worse, he might actually figure out what Voldemort had done with it.

 _Assuming it's where I left it... No! I have to believe that it wasn't stolen, too._

Still, there was no one else who could be counted on to break through the protections to the headmaster's office and bring down the wards in time.

Voldemort glared silently for several long seconds before saying. "Go, then." He, the Lestrange brothers, and two teams would make their way into the tunnel leading from Honeydukes to the castle's third floor. They would have to polyjuice themselves as students early, in case any of the wards extended down into the tunnels, which would decrease the amount of time their disguises would be active once they entered the castle.

The first Death Eater was still on his knees and still shaking. "Your name is Flint, is it not? You recently graduated?" The young man nodded. "Cursing you would be useless now, but you may still be of some minor value. Go to the front and begin testing the castle's wards!" Flint and his companions scrambled to comply, running along the single road leading out of Hogsmeade.

A thump against Voldemort's leg drew his eyes down to where Nagini was waiting. _"Wait here and help guard the village,"_ he hissed. _"I don't want you near the fighting."_

 _"I'm hungry!"_

Voldemort sighed. _"There are probably mice and rats around. Eat all you want, but be wary of any threats."_

 _"Yum, rats!"_ Nagini slithered off eagerly.

* * *

 **Great Hall, Hogwarts.**

Dumbledore was the last to arrive in the Great Hall, but he knew that Diana would be able to brief everyone on what was going on and what sorts of preparations had already been made. He regretted not having had the time to explain it all himself and once again wondered what had caused Voldemort to act so rashly.

As soon as he stepped through the doors, however, he found, not a briefing, but an argument going on inside the entrance. The cluster of combatants paused in surprise at his approach.

"Headmaster, are you sure you should be here?" a concerned-looking Flitwick asked.

"I assure you, Filius, my condition isn't nearly as bad as people think."

Next to Flitwick, McGonagall raised a skeptical eyebrow but said nothing. As Deputy Headmistress, she was well aware of his plans and the true state of his health; he must look worse than he thought to provoke that reaction from her.

Dumbledore sighed. "No, I'm not as strong or healthy as I'd like, considering what we are facing, but as Headmaster my place is here — especially given my connection to the wards." He paused as he looked over the remainder of the group. "However, I am uncertain as to why there are so many students here. I had expected you two, Mrs. Potter and Miss Granger, but I also expected the rest of the students to remain secure in their common rooms."

"There was no keeping them back once I told Rose and Hermione what was going on," Diana explained. "Though I have no idea how Luna managed to sneak in."

"Nor I," Flitwick added, narrowing his eyes at his student.

"We've been training with Rose and Hermione all year," Luna said. "We know we aren't as skilled as you, but that doesn't mean we can't help."

"It's our school too!" Ron added.

"It may be your school, but it's our job to protect you," McGonagall countered, a note of asperity coming into her voice. "That's why I told you to return to your common rooms."

"But if you don't defeat them, then the common rooms won't save us," Neville pointed out.

Dumbledore looked from one to another as they argued, then settled his gaze on Rose. She shrugged. "I'd rather they stay behind in safety, myself, but I'd be kind of a hypocrite if I forced them to. And they do have a point: they've been training for this, and they might be able to help."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Very well, I will allow this, but no more." McGonagall made to argue, but he raised a hand to silence her protest. "Everyone deserves a chance to fight for their freedom. I will ask, however, that the heads of house notify the prefects about our situation so they can arrange defenses in the common rooms, then seal off the entrances and activate the renewed wards that were established in the halls outside the common rooms. If the castle wards and outer defenses fall, that will hopefully give the students a fighting chance."

McGonagall acquiesced, albeit reluctantly, and together they all moved to the main table where everyone else was gathered. Dumbledore sat at its head and addressed them.

"I trust that we all understand the seriousness of our situation?" They all nodded. "Good. I anticipated that Voldemort might try something, especially with the Ministry still unable to provide us with support, but I had thought that he'd wait until summer, when the castle would be more vulnerable."

"And now, while classes are in session, our job as defenders is all the more difficult," McGonagall lamented. "If he wins, he not only gets Hogwarts, but all the students as well!"

Dumbledore looked grave. "That is true, but I believe that something else prompted him to act now. Professor Snape?" He turned to his Potions professor.

Snape shook his head. "He hasn't called me since we had that conversation in the hospital wing last month, and I haven't heard anything from anyone else, either. I agree, though, that something sudden and unexpected must have occurred."

"Do you think he doesn't trust you anymore?"

Snape's expression grew troubled. "I fear that might be the case. I cannot otherwise explain why he'd take this step without making any contact with me."

"Very well," Dumbledore said with resignation. "The attack is nearly upon us, and we must prepare. Over the past year, the castle's wards have been expanded and strengthened, but they won't hold forever, and there's little prospect of getting outside aid. The Ministry is still in disarray and the floos are not working."

"Can Fawkes help?" Rose asked.

Dumbledore shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid he just had a burning day last week."

"What about the Order?" McGonagall said.

"I've sent a patronus to Alastor and Sirius to let him know of our situation," Dumbledore answered. "I suspect they'll gather what members they can and head first to Hogsmeade to try to deal with whatever forces were left there before assailing our attackers from the rear. However, I don't expect that they'll be able to do much, given how few people they have to call on. If we are fortunate, they may be able to find a few aurors to join them." Everyone looked grim as the gravity of their situation sank home.

"Professors Sprout, Vector, Hooch, and Babbling, I'd like you in the guard towers on either side of the entrance gate. From there you'll have a good view down to the main gates and across the bridge. If the worst should happen and the enemy takes the viaduct bridge, each tower has a passage that will take you to battlements along either side of the entrance courtyard. From there, you'll be able to provide support to those of us in the courtyard."

He turned to the others. "Professors McGonagall and Flitwick will join me in the entrance courtyard." He then turned to the Amazons and students. "Mrs. Potter, Miss Granger, Diana, and Mala, I'd like you close by me. You other students should probably be up on the battlements with your professors. There's more cover there."

"I should accompany them, Headmaster," Snape said as the students started moving off. At the older wizard's questioning look, he said quietly, "The farther away from the Dark Lord that I remain, the less likely he'll be able to give me orders which I'll be forced to either follow or disobey."

"And if he doesn't trust you anymore, even the slightest action on our behalf will be perceived as proof that you are opposed to him," Dumbledore concluded. "Indeed. Go."

"What about the school's active defenses?" McGonagall asked as Snape hurried after the students.

"I won't animate the armor and statues unless the enemy manages to enter the courtyard or the castle proper," he replied. "They would have little effect out in the open against spellfire and trolls, I'm afraid. They will do the most good in close quarters, in the halls and classes."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," someone whispered.

Dumbledore didn't respond to that, but he did look over at Mala and noted that she was wearing the amulet he'd given her. With it, she was the only other person who could initiate the castle's active defenses. It hadn't been an easy decision to make — it was the first time in the school's history that such a critical part of the castle's defenses had been put in the hands of someone who wasn't on staff. By traditional standards, the fact that she was also non-magical put the choice of her completely beyond the pale. Nevertheless, he'd come to the conclusion that someone outside the regular chain of command (and thus not an obvious target for the enemy) needed to be able to act if the worst should befall them.

* * *

On the third floor, a dozen students climbed out of the humpbacked witch. All moved swiftly to the seventh floor, at which point they split up: half headed for the headmaster's office, and the rest headed for an empty stretch of corridor and a tapestry of trolls being taught to dance.

Had Dumbledore not been so weakened or so distracted, he might have noticed that more students were outside their dorms than were supposed to be.

* * *

Outside the castle, several Death Eaters had already arrived at the main gates. The winged boars stood silently on either side, looming above them in the pre-dawn light. Red and green spells burst in the air as Death Eaters cast curses at the wards, working to drain them and eventually bring them down.

"Report!" Voldemort demanded, causing Marcus Flint to jump in surprise.

"M-my Lord, your servants have already started attacking the wards—"

"I can see that!" Voldemort scowled, wondering if this man was even worth keeping as cannon fodder.

"Of course, my Lord." Flint bowed even lower. "Bu-but the wards are stronger than we were led to believe..."

"I know that, too!" He fingered his wand, considering his best course of action. He could help those casting against the wards — if he added his power, he suspected that he could significantly speed things up. The problem was, such an effort would leave him in a compromised state for a while, and he'd need all his strength to take down Dumbledore, Potter, and that American.

Granted, Dumbledore was apparently ill and weak himself, but even a weakened Albus Dumbledore shouldn't be underestimated. Potter was still a child, but she was far too lucky, far too often. And as for the American, she was a complete wild card. She was believed by many to be a squib or muggle, but she'd demonstrated abilities that no one could explain.

Any one of them he might be able to handle, even in his current state, but not all three at the same time.

"Even so, the wards here at the main gate are already weakening," Flint continued.

"Oh?" Voldemort asked, surprised.

"Yes, my Lord. The strongest is a hostile-intent ward. I don't know how long that will hold up. There are creature-repelling and non-student detection wards that are relatively new, however, and we may have them down sooner."

Voldemort slowly lowered his wand. This was actually interesting information. He looked up at the castle, his eyes narrowing. _If they figured out how to extend the wards underground, they might have the secret passages covered, and this plan will go nowhere. In that case, Rookwood will send word soon enough._

"However..."

Voldemort glared at Flint, who didn't notice because his nose was pressed too firmly to the ground.

"...I strongly suspect that there will be more powerful wards closer to the castle."

Voldemort nodded slowly. It made sense — it's what he would do. Magic would be strongest closer to and within the castle, so it was logical to focus that magic closer in, rather than way out by the front gates, over six hundred yards away, where the magic would become diffuse.

"My Lord?"

Voldemort turned to his left, where Walden Macnair was waiting.

"What is it?"

"The trolls, my Lord." Macnair gestured behind him to where two dozen trolls were milling about. "I can only keep them unoccupied for so long. Sooner or later, they're going to have to do something. They simply don't have the patience for a long wait."

Voldemort looked back down to the Death Eater who was still grovelling at his feet. "You mentioned anti-creature wards, Flint. Are there any wards which would act as a physical barrier to objects?"

"No, my Lord, none here. But I don't know about closer in."

"You heard him, Macnair. Have the trolls start gathering large stones from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, then they can start throwing them at the castle. Let's see if any hit."

"Yes, my Lord."

"You've done well, Flint," Voldemort said, using his foot to push the young Death Eater away. "Return to analyzing the wards. Keep me informed, and you may yet earn forgiveness for your earlier failure."

"Thank you, my Lord!"

 **CRASH!**

A large stone disintegrated against the side of the castle. Once the dust cleared, there didn't appear to be any damage to the castle wall itself. Several more stones hit near the same spot in short order, still without any obvious effect.

 **BAM!**

Two stones crashed against the Astronomy Tower, again without doing any damage.

"There's nothing stopping objects from getting through, but it looks like the the walls were magically reinforced, my Lord," Macnair commented.

Voldemort nodded. It seemed that Flint was indeed correct. "Hogwarts' defenses have been strengthened even more than I'd imagined."

"I take it Snape never informed you about this?"

Macnair quailed at the expression Voldemort turned on him. "You know that Severus cannot tell me everything that goes on in the castle! And as it happens, he specifically told me that Dumbledore had that woman working on things that he refused to divulge."

"Yes, my Lord!" Macnair said, bowing hastily.

 **BOOM! CRASH!**

Voldemort returned his attention to the castle, where stones continued to slam against the outer wall and Astronomy Tower. In truth, he was more concerned about Snape than he was willing to reveal. He had no positive evidence of the Potion Master's betrayal, but until he found out exactly what Pettigrew had done in the castle, and especially whether the rat had been in contact with Severus, he was unwilling to trust the man as much as he had previously. That was why he hadn't contacted him about his attack plans.

 **SMASH!**

One stone flew in low, hitting the gate leading from the stone viaduct bridge into the entrance courtyard. The impact was hard enough to do a little damage. On either side, several figures could be seen moving around in the guard towers.

"Macnair, tell the trolls to ignore the wall for now. Have them focus on the entrance gate and guard towers. Promise them rewards for whoever gets the gates open as well as for hitting any of the people up there. Maybe they'll be able to get a few into the courtyard as well."

Macnair grinned. "Right away, my Lord!"

"And Macnair? Make sure they understand to leave the viaduct bridge undamaged, otherwise we'll have to waste time finding another entrance into the castle."

"Yes, my Lord."

Eventually they got the new instructions to sink into the trolls' tiny brains, and soon after, real progress was being made. The front gate was taking steady damage, and defenders in the two guard towers were constantly forced to cast shields to protect themselves from incoming rocks.

It wasn't enough by any means, but it was a start. Now that there were actual threats for the castle defenders to worry about, their attentions would be increasingly focused on him rather than on events inside the castle. Enough time had gone by without hearing from Rookwood that Voldemort was confident his servants had made it inside. Now he simply had to keep up the pressure from here and wait.

Voldemort hated waiting.

* * *

 **Room of Requirement, Hogwarts.**

Rabastan and Rodolphus LeStrange, polyjuiced as two Hufflepuff third-year students, gaped in disbelief as they entered the Room of Lost Things. They'd followed their Master's instructions exactly, not daring to deviate even the slightest, but in a single moment their confidence in their success was dashed to pieces.

"Are you seeing this, brother?" Rodolphus whispered.

"Aye, Rod, I am."

"How...?"

"I don't know, Rod, but the Master is counting on us." Rabastan turned to the equally disbelieving Death Eaters behind him and projected far more confidence than he felt. "Oi, you lot! The Dark Lord wants us to find an object he enchanted! He left it on a white bust of an ugly wizard! Now get cracking and find it!"

"But... but where should we start?" One asked.

"Do we have to do all your thinking for you?" Rodolphus demanded. "You, go that way," he commanded, pointing at one Death Eater. "You two, go that way! Everyone split up and take a different area to search! Send up red sparks if you see something!"

"At times like this, I really wish Bella were here," Rodolphus said with a sigh.

"Me too, Rod," Rabastan said as he moved to search his own area. "Me too."

* * *

Elsewhere on the seventh floor, Rookwood and the polyjuiced Death Eaters under his command were having a bit more luck. They'd had no trouble finding the gargoyle which guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's Office, and Rookwood himself was already actively engaged in breaking down the protections that kept it locked in place.

"How long is this going to take?" one of the Death Eaters demanded.

"Quiet!" Rookwood hissed. "This is a delicate operation, and I can't afford to stop now that I've started."

"I don't see why we don't blast it apart," another muttered.

"The protections on the gargoyle are far too strong for that," Rookwood replied, angry at being questioned. "We'd be caught long before your spells managed to get us through to the Headmaster's office. That's why I at least need to weaken them, if not remove them completely, and that's going to take time. Only when I'm done will we be able to get inside so we can find the main ward stone and sabotage it."

* * *

 **Hogsmeade.**

"Urg?"

"Hru."

"Grib!"

Trolls are not the smartest of creatures. What little space there is in their tiny skulls is mostly taken up by dense bone. A very few are just intelligent enough to be trained as security trolls, but even then it's limited to standing in one place and preventing anyone from moving past them.

Asking a group of untrained trolls to patrol a wizarding village was never going to end well for anyone.

"Snerk!"

All of the trolls had congregated in the center of Hogsmeade, bored from walking around with nothing to do. One started poking at the front wall of the Three Broomsticks with his club and found that if he poked hard enough, the wall began coming apart.

For a troll, this was pretty exciting, and he was soon joined by his fellows. They had most of the pub's front wall in pieces when there arose a piercing cry from the far end of the street.

 _"Alalai!"_

 _"Eleleu!"_

They paused in their labors and stared at the source of the commotion in blank incomprehension. To give the trolls their due, however, few would have done better, for it had been thousands of years since any living creature had seen the like.

Charging four abreast, massive centaurs in gleaming silver armor were thundering down the narrow lane with heavy, three-meter spears raised high. The trolls didn't react until arrows began to fall, several of which managed to penetrate their thick skin. Grunting and huffing, the trolls lifted their clubs high and stomped forward to meet their unexpected foes.

Trolls also aren't good at logic, so when the centaurs lowered their spears at the last moment, the trolls were completely unprepared for how much more quickly the distance between them was closed. The spears, made magically strong and sharp by the best Amazonian weaponsmiths, pierced not only the trolls standing in front, but also those edging behind their braver comrades. Those not lucky enough to die so quickly were trampled by galloping centaurs, whose mass was greatly increased by Amazonian armor.

"Bane!" A lone centaur wearing a golden helm jammed his spear into the street and turned to address a second centaur who approached. "Send teams of two to sweep the village. Once it's secure, we'll form up again and head down the road towards the castle."

Bane nodded once and began shouting orders, causing the other centaurs to disperse throughout Hogsmeade. "I doubt that tactic will work as well with wizards," he said as he turned back, then smirked. "Not that I wouldn't mind trying."

The other centaur's response was cut short by a noise from across the street. They both grabbed their spears and pointed them in the direction of the sound. Barely a second passed before there was a shimmer in the air as someone removed an invisibility cloak.

"The name's Mad-Eye Moody, retired auror," said the wizard. His wand was in his hand, but he wisely kept it pointed at the ground. "Who might you two be?"

"I am Magorian," said the larger centaur as he removed his golden helm. "I lead the herd which lives in the forest."

Moody nodded. "Judging from what you did to those trolls, I guess you're not here to support You-Know-Who?"

"We would never side with him," Bane said in disgust.

"No, I suppose not; but that does raise the question of why you're here at all. It isn't like you to get involved in wizarding affairs, even those that will likely affect you."

"We are acting in accordance with a new treaty we have with the Princess of Themyscira," Magorian said.

"Princess?" Moody was so surprised that even his magical eye stopped spinning around and focused intently on the centaurs. "What princess?"

"If you do not know who she is, then you do not need to know," Magorian said loftily.

There was a shimmer next to Moody, and rsuddenly a wizard with black hair stood beside him. "It's alright, Mad-Eye. I know who he's talking about." Moody frowned at him, but the man paid no attention as he addressed the centaurs. "My name is Sirius Black, and I've come here with friends. My goddaughter, Rose Potter, and her wife, Diana Black, are in the castle, and I won't let them fight alone."

Magorian nodded to Sirius. "We are preparing to march on the castle. If you wish, you may join us."

"My first instinct is to suggest that you're going after a target that'll be too much for you," Moody said cautiously as he looked around, "though judging by how you've done so far, I think maybe you have a chance."

"The fight will not be easy, but we are confident that we will make a difference," Magorian declared. "We've already stopped Aragog's children from joining the Dark Lord."

"Aragog's children?" Moody scowled. "Never heard of them."

"A colony of several hundred Acromantula," Bane explained. "We finally acquired the means we needed to deal with them, and they will no longer be a problem."

Moody's good eye widened almost to the point where it matched his magical eye. After a moment, he grinned and nodded. "Aye, I think we'll be joining you after all."

"How many of you have come to join the battle?"

"C'mon out," Moody called back over his shoulder, and several more figures appeared. Some were cancelling disillusionment charms while others were taking off invisibility cloaks.

"The addition of wizards and witches will change things," Magorian said slowly. "We should discuss strategy, and how we may best support one another in the coming battle."

"Aye, that's a good idea," Moody said, stepping forward to join the two centaurs.

"Have wizards and centaurs ever fought side-by-side?" Bill Weasley whispered to his father.

"If they have, I don't think Binns ever mentioned it," Arthur replied.

Tonks snorted behind them. "Like Binns ever mentions anything outside of goblin rebellions."

"There is that," Arthur admitted. "Let's take up positions along the street heading up to Hogwarts. We should be in place if any of the Death Eaters decide to come back and investigate."

"Good idea," Tonks said, and she began giving instructions to members of the Order, sending them to designated spots where they had both cover and a good line of sight down the road.

"Tonks!" Moody called out before she could join them.

"What's up, boss?"

Moody gestured to the centaur behind him. "Bane here wants to scout ahead, see what's waiting for us. Your disillusionment charm good enough to cover him?"

Tonks looked the massive centaur up and down. "Sure, I think I can swing it, if you're willing. Centaurs don't normally like us casting magic on them, though."

Bane scowled slightly, and his gaze flicked over to Magorian. "No, we do _not_. But in this case, I've been instructed that pragmatism is more important than my pride."

Tonks nodded. "Alright, then. Lean down for me, it's best to do this starting with the head." Bane did as instructed and Tonks tapped her wand lightly. Slowly but surely, he disappeared from sight. She then did the same to herself, saying, "I'll take the left side of the road, you take the right. Hiss to get my attention."

Bane didn't respond, but the sound of his hooves rang clear on the cobblestones of Hogsmeade's central square as he moved off.

* * *

 **Entrance Courtyard, Hogwarts.**

"I can't believe we're just going to wait here!"

"Mrs. Potter, charging out to attack them would be foolishly dangerous," Dumbledore cautioned.

"I know, I know," the young witch responded. "The wards will only block regular spells, not unforgivables."

"Nor physical objects," Dumbledore added with a worried frown. He gestured towards the distant spot where the trolls had started picking up large stones.

"But that doesn't mean we should wait for them to break through the outer defenses," Rose insisted.

 **CRASH!**

Everyone flinched when the first stone slammed against the castle's outer wall.

"And what would you suggest?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't know... sneak down under a disillusionment charm or invisibility cloak and curse the Death Eaters who are attacking the wards?"

Dumbledore nodded. "A reasonable idea, and it likely would buy us more time. However, the attackers are outside the far wall, making it difficult to see them or cast spells against them; and with the lockdown you would not be able to exit through the gates. Furthermore, any attack would instantly alert the enemy to your presence."

 **BAM!**

Rose slumped against Diana, who had been listening closely to the debate. "But there's got to be _something_ we can try."

"Sometimes waiting is the most difficult job of all," Diana said sympathetically.

"There will be plenty of fighting to do when they break through and approach the castle," Dumbledore assured her.

"So you're certain they'll break through?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, sooner or..." Dumbledore paused, then rocked back against the wall, gripping his head and moaning softly.

 **BOOM! CRASH!**

"Albus!"

"What's wrong, Headmaster?"

"I don't... I mean..." Dumbledore looked around in confusion. "There's something wrong with the wards."

"The attackers?" McGonagall asked. Everyone looked back out through the narrow openings in the courtyard's outer wall, straining to see what new assault might have been launched.

"I fear it's much worse than that," Dumbledore replied, trying to stand up straight as he held his hand to the wall for support. "There's something going on _inside_ the castle."

"But how?" Diana asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm not certain, but this needs to be investigated. I must get to my office."

"Not alone," McGonagall insisted. "Certainly not in your current condition."

"I'll go with him," Mala announced.

"You mean _we_ will," Hermione chimed in, looking defiantly at both the Amazon and the Headmaster.

The old wizard nodded slowly. "Yes, it would probably be best if I had assistance. Come, there's little time to lose." They hurried away.

 **SMASH!**

Everyone jumped back when the door between the courtyard and the viaduct bridge rocked inward. Several planks of wood showed the stress of the impact. Soon more stones were slamming into the weakening door, and those above on the battlements were forced to constantly cast shields to protect themselves from other stones that were targeting them.

"Rose is right: we can't allow this to continue unanswered," Diana announced. "Not at this rate. There may be plenty of fighting once they reach the castle, but that assumes that the castle is still standing when they get here."

"What do you plan to do?" McGonagall asked as she started casting spells intended to shore up the door. "You heard the Headmaster."

"He was thinking like a wizard, imagining how the problem could be approached with magic." Diana shrugged off her cloak, revealing the leather and bronze armor underneath. "He wasn't thinking about his other resources, like having a member of the Justice League on staff." She paused and frowned. "Though when I put it that way, that's a fairly substantial oversight. When he gets back, you should probably send him to the hospital wing. I fear he may be in worse shape than he realizes."

McGonagall nodded briskly.

Diana then turned to her wife, whose anxious expression was easy to read. "I'll be alright. I won't take any unreasonable chances."

"You'd _better_ not," Rose warned her, reaching up and pulling Diana into a passionate kiss. It wasn't a long kiss, though, and they stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Diana stepped back and launched herself into the sky.

"Oh, my," McGonagall whispered. "I had no idea..."

"She is _so_ going to kick their asses," Rose said fiercely, her voice filled with pride even as she wrapped her arms around herself in worry. No one admonished her for her language.

* * *

"Look, up in the sky!"

The first fingers of dawn were reaching over the distant horizon, but the sky above was still too dark to make out much more than a fast-moving blur. Before anyone had a chance to react, the blur was amongst them, slamming into one troll and throwing it tumbling across the grass, where it bowled over several Death Eaters who'd been assaulting the wards.

Spells immediately began flying back and forth, most failing to hit anything at all; those that did find a target only managed to hit other Death Eaters.

"It's that American, you fools!" Voldemort shouted. Some of the reports he'd received suggested that she had some means of flying, but he'd been reluctant to believe that. Until now.

 _So much for her being a mere muggle._

The rate of casting slowed, but the accuracy didn't improve as she moved too fast for anyone to hit. Voldemort raged impotently when she grabbed two trolls by the backs of their necks and shot up into the sky again. High above them she threw first one, then the other in a high arc, sending them many leagues away.

They'd live — he knew from his time possessing Quirrel how hard it was to kill a troll — but he didn't care about that. What he cared about was the fact that she was derailing his efforts with impunity. He _needed_ the attack on the outside of the castle to continue.

Which meant that he had to take direct action himself.

With a dramatic twirl of his wand, Voldemort created an inky cloud that swirled around his feet and legs before carrying him up into the air.

"You!" he hissed when he reached the same height as the woman who'd been disrupting his plans all year. "What are you?"

"Voldemort, I take it," Diana responded, ignoring his question and hovering there as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "I didn't realize you could fly."

"My enemies insist on underestimating me."

"I promise you that I won't make that mistake."

He sneered. "You won't get the chance." His wand snapped up high above his head and he began casting curses at her — not the worst, but nasty curses that could be cast unusually quickly because of how they could be chained together, one leading right into the next like flowing water. Chaining curses together was a difficult skill that few ever mastered, and it was something Voldemort had often used to break down even the most skilled opponents.

Not this time, though. As fast as his curses flew, Diana flew faster. Most curses she dodged, but a few she managed to reflect back at him with her bracelets, forcing him to dodge his own spells.

"Hold still and accept your fate!"

"My fate is what I make of it, and I choose to follow the path laid down for me by Olympus," she replied as she bounced a Brain Boiling Curse back at him.

Voldemort dodged to one side but kept up the constant barrage of spells. "Olympus? Fairy tales told to children!"

"The Olympian gods are real," she said calmly. "They are the source of my power. They brought me together with Rose so we can create a better future for us all." She continued to weave back and forth as she spoke, coming ever closer and forcing Voldemort to drift backwards.

"I'd enjoy seeing the look on your face, then, when I kill your precious Rose Potter, but I doubt you'll live that long," Voldemort said, his voice dripping scorn. "Soon there will be just one god — me — and all will bow before my magic!"

Diana's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before she stopped dodging and instead brought both of her arms up in front of her, quickly reflecting back three of his curses in a row. For the first time, his attack was interrupted completely as he was forced to stop casting in order to move aside. This gave Diana an opening, allowing her to fly at him almost faster than he could think.

It was pure instinct that allowed him to apparate twenty yards to the left, and he didn't hesitate to start casting again. He nearly caught her with a Blood Boiling Hex, which drew a smile from him as a plan began to form. Instead of continuing to cast as before, he quickly apparated in random directions above his forces, varying his distance and height each time. Every time he was casting at Diana almost as soon as he reappeared, and despite her own great speed she was not having an easy time of it.

Because he would attack and disappear again immediately, Diana had fewer opportunities to reflect his curses back at him. She was dodging more and his spells were coming closer than they were before. Voldemort made a mental note to take the bracelets off her dead body and study them, then decided that it was time to finally put an end to the meddlesome American.

With a crack he appeared two meters behind her, facing the castle, and incanted, _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_

The killing curse was his favorite spell. Totally unblockable, even a glancing blow would instantly kill, and his were powerful enough to destroy anything that his opponents might try to hide behind. It was the ultimate expression of his hatred, his will to dominate, and his unassailable magic.

It also had a relatively long incantation. That, combined with his penchant for raising his wand dramatically above his head before cursing his enemies, gave Diana enough time to spin around and face him. With the curse already on its way towards her, she couldn't dodge. All she could do was cross her arms in front of her and allow her bracelets to take the blow.

 **BOOM!**

The explosion from the killing curse impacting the Bracelets of Submission sent both combatants tumbling away from each other. Diana crashed into the Entrance Courtyard, where her limp body dug a deep furrow before slamming into the castle wall, doing more damage than any of the stones thrown by the trolls.

"Diana!" Rose cried in anguish as she ran over to her wife.

"Careful, Mrs. Potter, don't move her!" McGonagall was right behind her, casting diagnostic spells on the still form.

"Is she...?"

"She's still alive, but barely," McGonagall responded. "Severus!" she hollered, looking up, and Snape's head appeared over the edge of the battlement. "We need you!" Snape nodded once and disappeared again.

"But Madam Pomfrey..." Rose protested.

"Professor Snape is closer," McGonagall said, putting a gentle hand on her student's shoulder. "He's got enough training to at least stabilize her, and that's what's important right now."

Rose nodded, but before she could respond there was a loud crash, like glass breaking, and a wave of power rushed over them. "What...?"

"Oh, my," McGonagall said as all the blood drained from her face.

* * *

Voldemort landed in a heap just inside the Forbidden Forest, where his servants immediately rushed to help him.

"Leave me be!" he shouted, shoving the Death Eaters away from him. If there was one thing he hated more than the appearance of weakness, it was being touched. Everyone stepped back and watched warily as Voldemort rose to his feet, one hand on his head. Nothing like this had happened to him since his killing curse had rebounded off the Potter child — and since he still appeared to have a body, judging by the pain, there was cause for optimism. "Any sign of the woman?" he asked.

"She crashed into the castle, my Lord. She hasn't come back yet."

Voldemort nodded slowly. This time, at least, it appeared that his killing curse had worked properly. "Good. Now all of you get back to—"

A wave of power slammed into them, causing Voldemort to stagger. Several of his Death Eaters fell to the ground.

"What was...?"

"The wards!" Voldemort cried. "They're down! Victory is ours!"

* * *

 **Room of Requirement, Hogwarts.**

"Let's just go already, Rabastan."

"No, Rod! What will the Dark Lord say if he learns that we didn't merely fail, but actually gave up?"

Rodolphus sighed. "We've already lost one of these idiots to a coven of doxies, and we have nothing to show for it."

"That excuse won't protect us from his wrath!"

"So... we'll blame Rookwood."

"If the Dark Lord learns that we... what?"

"Blame Rookwood!"

"That might work... but how? What do we say?"

"Tell him that Rookwood sent for us, demanding that we help."

"And when Rookwood denies it?"

"You're assuming that Rookwood will survive to dispute our story," Rodolphus said with a smirk.

Rabastan nodded thoughtfully. "And if we help take down the wards faster, the Dark Lord will control the castle, giving him all the time he wants to search in here himself."

"As long as he gets it, he'll be happy in the end." Rodolphus turned towards where the others were searching. "Hey, you lot, it's time to leave!"

"Why?" asked one Death Eater whose skin was swelling badly from a large number of doxy bites

"We need to go help Rookwood," Rabastan said.

"He sent someone demanding that we give this up and help him," added Rodolphus for good measure.

A second Death Eater looked around, not seeing where anyone else had entered the room. Finally he shrugged. "Right, then — this is pointless anyway."

"Let's go!" Rabastan shouted, trying and failing to instill a bit of excitement in the flagging Death Eaters.

* * *

 **Seventh Floor, Hogwarts.**

"Do you have any idea what's causing the trouble with the wards, Headmaster?" Hermione asked.

"I have several," Dumbledore answered, "each worse than the last."

"I thought Diana's work had strengthened your wards," Mala said.

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed it has. Her help has been invaluable, little that I expected it to be when she first arrived. Despite not having the same sort of magic as wizards and witches, her presence seems to have done a lot of good. The castle has reacted very positively to her."

"Reacted?" Mala asked, a confused expression on her face. "You speak as if the castle is... alive."

"Not alive, exactly, but it does possess a sort of sentience," Dumbledore explained. "To some, she is cold and foreboding. To others, she is warm and accepting. For a special few, though, she becomes more active. Stronger, even."

"Like Diana."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, looking over at Mala. "And you as well, I suspect."

"That makes a lot of sense," Hermione interjected. "When I accompanied Diana, there were times that she would place her hand on particular stones and stand for a bit."

"Keystones," Dumbledore said. "They help transmit magic throughout the castle. Only a few people know they exist, and even fewer are ever told where they are."

"So why would they be in trouble now?"

"No wards are perfect. They all have their vulnerabilities... especially from inside," he finished darkly as they rounded the corner. "Once we get to my office, the first thing I'll need—"

 _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_

"Get back!" Mala shouted, instantly yanking both Dumbledore and Hermione back around the corner as a bolt of green light shot through the space they'd just been walking through.

"Those are students!"

"I suspect not," Dumbledore replied. "It seems that we have infiltrators in the castle."

"But how? Where?" Hermione flinched when curses impacted the nearby wall, spraying them with tiny stones

"Right now, that's far less important than what they are doing," Dumbledore interrupted as he took out his wand.

"It looked like they were casting spells on the gargoyle, probably trying to get into your office," Mala said.

"It's much worse than that, I fear," Dumbledore responded. Moving more quickly than they would have thought possible given his injuries, the Headmaster stepped around the corner and began point-casting a quick series of charms, curses, and transfiguration spells which the Death Eaters were hard-pressed to defend against.

But defend they did, because they couldn't run, and they didn't dare disturb Rookwood's work.

Dumbledore immediately recognized what was going on, but focusing even more on Rookwood himself did little to help. The Death Eaters simply stepped up their efforts, casting and defending without heed for their own safety. They knew that their lives were forfeit if they failed.

Just then, Rodolphus' team came charging around the far corner. "Morgana's saggy left tit, what's going on here?" he demanded.

"Almost got it..." Rookwood whispered, sweat streaming down his face.

"Dumbledore's found us," Rabastan interrupted. "We don't have time to wait anymore — we need to get into that office NOW!"

"Blast the gargoyle!"

"No, I've got it! We can get it open now..." Rookwood wheezed, but his voice failed to carry over the din as he slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

 _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_ The Lestrange brothers were joined by half a dozen other Death Eaters, all of whom cast killing curses at the statue almost simultaneously. The gargoyle exploded in a maelstrom of stone and energy that knocked over everyone who wasn't already on the ground.

"You fools!" Dumbledore gasped as unconsciousness overtook him. "You don't know... what you've done..."


	23. Showdown

**A/N:** Well, this is it (except for the epilogue, of course). It's been a long and difficult road for both Rose and Diana. I know that not everyone has been happy with how difficult it's been for them, but I hope you still enjoy the conclusion.

I also hope everyone will join me in giving an extra thanks to Bonnie for all the time and effort she put into this chapter. In addition to all the work she'd normally do, she also spent a lot of time reworking, improving, and even expanding several scenes — especially the final fight, which is now very different. According to her, this one was a lot more complicated that the end of Heart and Soul. And she did all of this despite a health emergency last week and Thanksgiving this week!

 **Recommendation:** _A Sirius Matter_ , by witowsmp. I suppose this qualifies as a "classic" in Harry Potter fanfiction, but it's aged well and is still worth reading. After fleeing Britain, it occurs to Sirius that he should probably inform Harry about a few important matters. Like for instance that there's a prophecy about him and Voldemort. It's not exactly easy news, but Harry rises to the occasion and history takes a very different turn. H/Hr.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - Showdown**

 **June, 1997. Shrieking Shack.**

Peter Pettigrew, or rather the man who was once Pettigrew, stood on his toes and craned his neck in an attempt to witness the battle in front of Hogwarts. It was a poor vantage point that offered an inferior view of the castle, but he didn't dare get any closer. Until he figured out how to explain to his servants that he was the true Voldemort and convince them to turn their backs on the betrayer (preferably without letting on that his betrayal consisted of destroying the precious anchors to life), he couldn't risk being seen.

So watching the battle from in front of the Shrieking Shack was the best he could do, especially given how weak Pettigrew's body was.

And on top of it all, he wasn't even sure whom he should be rooting for. On the one hand, he was eager to see Dumbledore lose, once and for all. On the other, any victory by the betrayer would make his own rise to power that much more difficult. He also didn't want the betrayer to learn or even suspect anything about the fate of the diadem.

 _Perhaps if I approach someone injured in the battle, I'd find a more receptive audience_ , he mused. _At the very least they'll be too weak to attack me; worst-case scenario, I simply memory-charm them if the discussion goes poorly. And if Dumbledore is victorious, they may be in the right mindset to accept that they were led astray and betrayed. I'll even be magnanimous and not torture them for their error. Much._

He watched for several more minutes before a hissing sound caused Pettigrew to spin around in surprise.

 _"Rat man! Big, fat, juicy rat!"_

 _"Nagini, no!"_ Pettigrew held out one hand to the massive snake. She towered above him as she prepared to strike, forcing the small man to look up into the snake's eyes.

 _"Rat man speaks?"_ Nagini pulled back slightly, an uncharacteristic expression of surprise and disbelief on her face.

 _"Yes, I speak! I'm not Rat... er, I mean, I'm not Pettigrew. I'm your Master, Lord Voldemort!"_

Nagini's tongue flicked in and out rapidly as her head bobbed back and forth. _"Doesn't smell like Master, no. Smells like rat man!"_

 _"This is simply the body I've been forced to use, but I tell you the truth!"_ Pettigrew was starting to sweat. _"The other one who calls himself your Master is really a betrayer! I am the one you must obey!"_

None of Pettigrew's memories of Nagini were good. In truth, he was scared witless of the giant snake, something Nagini had always exploited to the fullest. Because the piece of Voldemort's soul which had taken control of his body had no good memories to counter with, the body's physiological reactions to her were almost overwhelming.

Nagini's eyes narrowed and her head stopped swaying. In that instant, Pettigrew knew that he'd failed to convince the snake of the truth. He raised his wand, a spell on his lips, but he was too slow. Despite her size, Nagini had the speed of a much smaller snake, allowing her to strike and pull her head back before he even had his wand all the way up.

 _"No!"_ he hissed as his hands moved to cover the wound on his shoulder. _"Not like this!"_

 _"Rat man, fat and juicy!"_ Nagini seemed to be laughing as the neurotoxins sped through his bloodstream. He tried to get away, but he only managed to stumble backwards a few steps before he fell over onto his back. He recognized that rather than inject him with a lethal dose of poison, she'd only given him enough to paralyze.

 _"Juicccccccy!"_ He couldn't feel anything on his body, but he could still tell when his feet moved as she worked her jaw around them. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. He lost all hope when he felt her at his waist and realized she was gathering in his arms. It was only when she reached his chest, though, that he could finally see her. There was a glint in her eyes as she worked her way up to his neck, and then her mouth came down over his head and he couldn't see anything at all.

THUNK!

Neither Nagini nor Pettigrew ever knew what hit them as the Amazonian spear pierced both of their brains, but the two pieces of Voldemort's soul screamed as they exited and drifted upwards around the still-vibrating spear. Untethered from the magical protections of the horcruxes which had once contained them, they dissipated rapidly in the growing light of dawn.

"What in Merlin's name was that?" Tonks asked as she cancelled the two disillusionment charms.

"I do not know," Bane replied, "but we should probably inform the others."

* * *

 **Front Courtyard, Hogwarts.**

"What was that?" Rose asked. Her question was directed towards McGonagall, who was staring up at the castle in alarm; her eyes never left her wife, however, as Snape examined her.

Snape answered her anyway. "The wards," he replied tersely as his wand flicked back and forth over Diana's body. "Something has caused them to fall."

"Catastrophically, too," Flitwick added with a worried look at the gate. "We're completely exposed now."

"Albus!" McGonagall said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I think we can safely assume that whatever the Headmaster went to investigate, it was far more serious than he realized," Snape said.

"Which means we also have to assume that we have intruders in the castle," Flitwick concluded, turning to McGonagall. "Can you animate the armor? We can't easily defend ourselves on two fronts."

McGonagall shook her head. "Only the Headmaster can give the order," she said, then she corrected herself. "Well, him and one other."

"Who?" Snape asked, pausing and looking at McGonagall in surprise.

"Mala. After his injury, he thought it safer if someone else also had the authority. He enchanted a special amulet which she wears. Given that the armor and statues automatically attack any threats to the school, all that's required is to authorize their use. That made it relatively simple to embed in an amulet."

"And of course, both of them are gone now," the Potions professor grumbled.

"What about Diana?" Rose interrupted, impatient for the results of Snape's ministrations.

"She'll be fine," he snapped. "I don't know how or why, not after an impact like that; but all of her vital signs appear strong." He paused and lifted one of Diana's arms, being careful not to touch the bracelet. "I am even more amazed that she survived the curse which the Dark Lord cast at her."

"What curse was it?" Flitwick had moved closer and looked keenly interested.

"I could not hear the incantation — the fight was too far away," Snape said, "but the spell itself was green."

"The killing curse?" McGonagall gasped.

He nodded. "Her survival isn't quite so incredible as Mrs. Potter's, but still..." He gestured towards one bracelet, which everyone knew should have been destroyed by the power of the curse, even if two of them had been able to block it enough to prevent her death.

It was smoking slightly, but otherwise it looked completely unharmed.

"Minerva!" Everyone looked up to see Professor Sprout leaning out of a window of the left guard tower. "They've blasted open the main gate! They'll be at the bridge in minutes!"

"Can you wake her?" McGonagall asked.

Snape grimaced. "I'd rather not; but if I must, I'd rather do it carefully."

"Then get her inside and do what you can. When you're done, someone needs to check on the Headmaster. If he and the others are in trouble, you'd be the best one to help them."

Snape nodded curtly and levitated Diana's body into the Entrance Hall, Rose staring after them anxiously.

"Mrs. Potter," McGonagall said next. When there was no reply, she repeated more loudly, "Mrs. Potter!"

Rose started, then blinked up at her professor. McGonagall put a comforting hand on her arm. "I know you're worried, but she's in good hands. He already said that she'd be fine."

Rose took a deep breath to compose herself, then nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Start casting charms to help reinforce the gate to the Entrance Courtyard and surrounding walls," she said, leading Rose to the outside wall where others were already doing just that. "Once the Death Eaters get close enough, cast spells through the slits. We should be able to—"

McGonagall was cut off by several stones crashing to the ground behind them, yet they hadn't come sailing in overhead. Looking up, they could both see heavy damage to the Astronomy Tower — damage that hadn't been there before, but which now seemed to be spreading all on its own. Another crash caused them to spin around again, and right in front of them the doors leading out of the entrance courtyard split open, despite the many strengthening charms being cast upon them.

"Professor?"

McGonagall shook her head. "I don't know. I don't understand it."

Outside, the roar of the Death Eaters and their trolls grew louder.

* * *

 **Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts.**

"Where is it? Tell me, you blasted portraits, where is it?" Rookwood, now returned to his original form, held his head as he stumbled through the Headmaster's office, desperate to find the master ward stone as quickly as possible. A hastily cast shield had allowed him to weather the effects of the exploding gargoyle better than everyone else, and he hadn't bothered to check to see if any of the others were even alive before staggering up the stairs.

 _"Incendio!"_ Rookwood sent the blast of fire dangerously close to several portraits, forcing their occupants to flee to their neighbors. "I'm not joking here! I want answers!"

"We can't tell you!" insisted a headmaster from the 17th century.

"We're tied to the Headmaster's will, foolish wizard," added another. "We cannot divulge any of Hogwarts' secrets without the express command of the current headmaster!"

"Blast it!" Rookwood shouted, sending a fireball towards a group of portraits that looked especially smug over his predicament. "I'll just find it myself, then I'll set this entire room on fire when I leave!"

"You're that Rookwood boy, aren't you?" asked the Sorting Hat. "Augustus, wasn't it? Sorted into Slytherin?"

"What of it?"

A headmistress in green sniffed disdainfully. "You certainly aren't exemplifying the virtues of our house, are you?"

"Most definitely not!" agreed a portrait from the opposite side of the room, forcing Rookwood to turn and search out his accuser. "In my day we never would have tolerated such behavior."

"In my defense," the hat interrupted, "he wasn't a good fit for _any_ of the houses."

"Arson! Brigandry!" raged another. "The noble house of Slytherin is shamed by your actions here today!"

"Shut! Up!" screamed Rookwood, now holding his head even tighter. "I don't have time for your inane prattle!"

"Inane prattle?" the headmistress in green demanded, her voice rising half an octave. "I'll have you know that the collected knowledge and wisdom here in this room far exceeds anything you can ever hope to encounter!"

Rookwood refused to be baited this time, but before he could proceed with his search, he was interrupted by someone coming up the stairs.

"Haven't you found it yet?"

"I just got up here, and I'm still seeing double."

"Me too. What happened?"

"Those idiot Lestrange brothers blasted the gargoyle right after I took down its defenses. That set off an explosion from all its stored magic."

"That was a lot of magic..."

Rookwood nodded. "A lot more than I would have expected. Most of the others didn't survive."

Dolohov shrugged. "What about these portraits? Will they—"

"No!" Rookwood said. "I've already asked them, anyway."

"I don't know you," the Sorting Hat said. "Who are you?"

"Dolohov," the second Death Eater growled. "What's it to ya?"

It raised what might have been an eyebrow, had the face been human. "I'm curious about the company little Augie keeps these days."

Dolohov snorted. "Augie?"

"Ignore it! Ignore all of them!" Rookwood spat. "We're destroying them when we're done!."

"Don't care much either way," Dolohov said with a shrug. "Now what does this master ward stone look like, anyhow?"

* * *

 **Front Gate, Hogwarts.**

Voldemort grinned as the remaining trolls reached the viaduct bridge, his Death Eaters not far behind. According to Flint, all but the anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards were gone, and even they seemed to be weakening — he estimated that they would be completely down within the hour. _Odd that they aren't anchored to the master ward stone like the rest_ , he considered as he strolled onto Hogwarts' grounds. _Or are they strong enough to survive despite the ward stone being deactivated? Either way, I'll have Rookwood investigate it once I control the castle._

It was a long walk from the outer gates to the castle entrance. He could have avoided it by flying, but he didn't want to get there before his servants did. He'd already exerted himself more than he'd have liked in his fight with the American and wanted to conserve his energy. Let them bear the brunt of the initial assault.

Several stones tumbled from the Astronomy Tower, and Voldemort paused next to Hagrid's hut, which was now burning, as he considered the damage to the castle that was becoming apparent. The clock tower looked the worst, but both the Astronomy and Gryffindor Towers would need significant repair as well. _Why is there damage_ _ **now**_ _, well after the towers were attacked? Why are the outer wall and front gate falling apart? Taking control of the castle won't mean much if it's destroyed, but I can't do anything about it if I don't know what's happening._

Once the Death Eaters were within casting range of the outer wall, spells started flying back and forth at a furious rate. The Death Eaters had no cover save that which they could create for themselves, but they had greater numbers and were highly mobile; those up in the guard towers had plenty of cover, but they had nowhere to go. They might have been evenly matched, except that what cover the defenders did have was quickly falling apart as the stones were blasted to dust from multiple high-power curses — mainly the killing curse.

The eventual success of the attack was a foregone conclusion even before two trolls hit the ruined gates at high speed, smashing through and immediately attacking everyone foolish enough to not have sought safety inside the castle itself. This distraction allowed the Death Eaters to move in as well, and only then did Voldemort feel safe enough to follow.

"Report!" he shouted at the first Death Eater he saw, which turned out to be Macnair. _Of course he'd stay as far back as he can, trying to protect his own skin._

"My Lord! There was no one in the courtyard when I arrived. I think they fled inside the castle." The man flinched when a curse passed by them, and Voldemort looked up to the battlements on either side where several students were casting poorly-aimed spells before ducking back behind cover. "Yes, my Lord," Macnair continued, "most of the defenders appear to be up there. They can't hit us easily, but they're bound to get in a few lucky shots if we aren't careful."

"Making it harder to break into the castle," Voldemort finished. He sneered at the man. "I expect you to be able to cast shields to protect yourselves while you attack the castle entrance. The doors already look damaged, so you should have no trouble breaking through."

"And the trolls, my Lord?"

"They have thick skins — let them fend for themselves."

"Yes, my Lord." Macnair immediately began shouting orders, and soon they were attacking the castle doors in something approaching an organized fashion. Results came far faster than he'd have expected — between the trolls and multiple killing curses, the doors were quickly becoming a pile of toothpicks and the surrounding stones were being blown apart.

 _This is too easy. Even with the wards down, it should be harder to break through Hogwarts' defenses. Is it a trap?_ He turned and cast a few spells at the ruined entrance to the courtyard. The gates, most of the surrounding walls, and nearly all of one tower were completely destroyed, giving a nearly unobstructed view from the courtyard to the bridge and beyond. _It's not an illusion — the damage is real. So what's going on?_

He only debated with himself briefly before revising his earlier decision. "Macnair! Send two of the trolls and a half dozen Death Eaters to stand guard at the other end of the bridge."

"My Lord? Are you expecting trouble?"

"I don't know," Voldemort admitted. "But something isn't quite right here."

"Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort continued to look back out of the courtyard and towards the Forbidden Forest as Macnair issued new instructions. Shouts of success soon signaled the imminent destruction of the doors to the Entrance Hall, and Voldemort turned back, prepared to follow his servants as they charged towards victory.

And that was when everything went straight to hell.

* * *

 **Seventh Floor, Hogwarts.**

"Are you alright?"

Hermione blinked rapidly as she took stock of her body and tried to remember what had happened. "The gargoyle!" she groaned. "What happened?"

"Some sort of explosion," Mala answered as she helped the young witch to her feet. "It knocked Dumbledore unconscious. The others... I don't know what to say about them. The students we saw are all gone. In their place are a bunch of black-robed witches and wizards, all with that black mark on their arms."

"The Headmaster!" Hermione rushed over to his side and tried to turn him over.

"No, don't move him!" Mala said, pulling her back. "I checked him first. He's alive, though weak. I can't tell what injuries he might have sustained, so moving him could do more harm than good."

"Yes, right, don't move him," Hermione said. "I knew that. I just..."

"I know."

"So what do we do now—" An explosion from the Headmaster's office made both of them turn and adopt defensive stances.

"Not everyone is unconscious," Hermione said.

"Whoever it is, they thought that getting into the Headmaster's office was more important than ensuring that we were incapacitated," Mala noted.

Hermione nodded. "Which means it's important enough that we have to stop them. She looked back down at Dumbledore before adding, "And we have to deal with it quickly, too, before the Headmaster is beyond help."

"You have no idea how right you are," came a voice from their left, causing them to spin in surprise. It wasn't a Death Eater, however, but a worried-looking portrait in vintage clothing.

"Who are you? What do you mean?" Hermione demanded.

"Phineas Nigellus Black, a former headmaster," he answered. "Two of those vile Death Eaters are in the office right now, searching for the master ward stone. You have to stop them!"

"We can't let them find it — the entire castle will be vulnerable!" Hermione nearly shouted, but the portrait shook his head sadly.

"That's not a concern anymore: most of the wards are completely down now." Hermione and Mala gasped in horror, but he kept on speaking. "That doesn't mean, though, that those two in the office can't do a lot of damage. It's the seat of power in Hogwarts and has to be protected."

"Of course," Mala said. "If nothing else, we can't have an enemy force like this at our backs."

"Can you help us at all?" Hermione asked. She was dying to know more about what had happened to the castle's wards, but she knew that there were more important things to take care of first.

Black smiled thinly. "We've been trying to distract them to limit the damage, but we haven't been very effective. But now that you two are awake, the Sorting Hat suggested that we do something to ensure that they turn their backs to the office door for a few seconds."

The smile Mala gave in return was one that would have caused hardened soldiers to shake in fear. "A few seconds is all we'll need."

Hermione stunned and bound all the Death Eaters, not worrying about whether they were alive or dead or what sorts of injuries they might have. When done, she nodded once to Mala, who turned to a second portrait that hung on the wall opposite where the gargoyle had stood.

"We're ready. What will the signal be?" she said.

"The word 'fire,'" Black replied before exiting his frame.

"Let's go," Mala said, and the two crept up the spiral stairs, taking care not to make any noise that might alert the two Death Eaters who could be heard ransacking the Headmaster's office.

"How can you even be sure the main ward stone is in here?" one of them demanded.

Hermione and Mala stopped just around the corner from the door, which stood half-way open.

"Because of a document I read when I worked in the Department of Mysteries," the second replied. "The Unspeakables didn't understand how exactly Hogwarts works, but they did know that all power in the castle flows through the Headmaster's office."

"What?" the first bellowed. "That's your proof? That's ridiculous!"

"You're both being ridiculous," a third voice chimed in to say. "Ridiculous and childish."

"Ignore her, she's trying to distract you."

"You'll never find what you're looking for so long as you continue blundering about like a pair of trolls."

"She knows something!" the first Death Eater cried.

"Of course she does — they all do. But the other one over there already said that they're all bound to the current Headmaster and can't divulge any secrets."

"Well, not directly, no."

"Don't say anything! Don't tell them a thing!" A cacophony of protest continued for several seconds before they were silenced by a cannon blast spell.

"What can you tell us about the ward stone?" the unidentified Death Eater asked, his voice moving away from them.

"What do I get in return?"

"Traitor! Oathbreaker!" Another cannon blast followed.

"What do you want?"

"Vindictus Viridian, at your service. I want a frame that hangs somewhere other than here. I want new things to see. I want to not hear all these stuffy old witches and wizards arguing over the same things for decades on end. I want... I want to see you both roasted alive by dragon fire!"

The last word had barely left the portrait's lips before Mala burst through the door, Hermione hot on her heels. They had the element of surprise, but the two Death Eaters reacted with unexpected speed and ferocity.

 _"_ _ **Stupefy! Diffindo!**_ _"_

Hermione's target — Rookwood, was it? — neatly dodged her spells before sending back several of his own.

 _"_ _ **Ossus Diffringo! Sanguinem Comburo!**_ _"_

The darker nature of his curses reminded Hermione all too easily of her fight with Pettigrew. She'd redoubled her training efforts after that, and the results showed. She dodged and weaved while still returning fire, shifting to more violent spells as well.

 _"_ _ **Confringo! Perforo!**_ _"_

Contrary to Hermione's expectations, Mala was faring much worse. She charged straight at a Death Eater Hermione recognized as Antonin Dolohov, who had time to get off an all-too-familiar purple curse. Mala caught it with her shield, but the power of the spell sent her flying back against the far wall with a sickening crack. Hermione barely suppressed the urge to go to her, though that became less of an issue once Dolohov began adding his own spellfire to Rookwood's, making it impossible for Hermione to counterattack.

 _"_ _ **Eviscero! Corpus Congelo!**_ _"_

She was good — much better than any other witch or wizard who hadn't had extensive training with Amazons. But there was no making up for the fact that Hermione was outnumbered and facing two very experienced, very dangerous opponents. They weren't casting stinging hexes or stunners like Rose did during training. They were casting blood-boiling and entrail-expelling curses.

They were fighting to kill, and Hermione would only be able to hold them off for so long before one of their spells caught her.

 _"_ _ **Cutem Fervefacio!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Sphaera Ig**_ — _"_

Dolohov's last curse was abruptly cut off when his head was severed from his body. Rookwood froze in shock as the headless corpse fell, revealing a pale Mala holding a bloody sword in her hand. Then his wand hand twitched in the Amazon's direction.

 _"_ _ **Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!**_ _"_

Rookwood fell heavily to the stone floor, unconscious and immobilized by Hermione's spells. "Oh, Mala!" she cried, rushing to help her friend sit in the Headmaster's chair — one of the few pieces of furniture not destroyed by either the battle or the earlier ransacking.

"I'll be alright," Mala said shakily. "Just got the wind knocked out of me. Not used to spells hitting with that much force."

"I was so worried! I thought... I thought..."

"I understand," Mala replied, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "But you ignored me and kept fighting. You did the right thing."

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt," said one of the portraits, "but Professor Snape has arrived. He's currently with the Headmaster, checking him over. Perhaps one of you should go down to let him know what's been happening."

Hermione nodded once. "I'll go. You stay and rest, Mala."

Once she was alone in the office, Mala was startled to hear her name called. It took her several seconds to realize that it was the Sorting Hat, calling to her from a high shelf.

"Rose and Hermione told me about you," she said.

"All good things, I'm quite sure!"

"Hm," Mala replied noncommittally.

"We still need your help here," the hat continued.

"Is there a problem?" Mala quickly looked around for some threat.

"Not yet, but there will be," the hat replied darkly. "In the bottom right drawer of Albus' desk is a treasure that we were able to hide away when we became aware of the attempt to gain entry to this office. Now that the threat has passed, and given what's about to happen, you'll need to take at least temporary responsibility for it."

"Of course," Mala assured it. "If it's that important, I'll do whatever's necessary to guard it."

"Oh, I know you will," the hat murmured as she opened the indicated drawer.

Mala hadn't known quite what to expect, given how odd Britain's magical community was. Maybe a jewel or vital papers or some priceless magical object. What she encountered, though, wasn't something she'd have guessed at in a thousand years.

 _"Cree?"_

Wordlessly, she reached down and scooped up the downy chick that was looking back up at her with big, sorrowful eyes. It shivered.

"Is this...?"

"Yes, that's Fawkes. As magically powerful as phoenixes are, they are completely helpless for a few weeks after every burning day. During that time, they are thoroughly dependent upon the human they have bonded with."

Mala cradled the baby bird to her chest in an attempt to keep it warm.

"What is it that you think is about to happen?" she asked, but no one answered her.

* * *

 **Entrance Hall, Hogwarts.**

"We won't be able to keep them out for long, not at the rate everything is deteriorating," Flitwick said, and McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Do you have any idea why the doors and walls here are taking so much damage now?"

"The battlements up above are only a little better off," Sprout added. She'd come down to help reinforce the doors and confer on strategy.

"Not for certain, no, but it started after the wards crashed."

Flitwick nodded. "I noticed that as well. I wonder if the force of the wards going down damaged the castle? Well, there's no help for it now. We need to focus on what we're going to do when those Death Eaters break through."

"We need a way to delay them," McGonagall replied. "We can't defeat them as we are, but we'll stand a chance if we can slow them down enough for Albus or Mala to activate the school's active defenses or for reinforcements from the Order or Ministry to arrive."

"So we need to keep them out of the castle for as long as possible," Rose said. It was difficult for her to not hover while Snape worked on Diana, but there was nothing she could do to help there.

"Mrs. Potter, there's little more we can do at this point." Flitwick gestured at the barricade created around the door to the Entrance Hall. "We've repaired and reinforced everything that we can, but both the doors and the surrounding walls continue to weaken."

"That doesn't mean we can't surprise them," Rose countered.

"What do you mean?" McGonagall asked.

Rose bit her lip as she considered how to explain. "This would be so much easier if the twins were still in school..."

"The Weasley twins? What do those troublemakers have to do with this?"

Rose smiled. "Making trouble, of course. Their pranks are only made available for sale after a lot of trial and error. Some of those errors can be rather... explosive in nature."

"Of course!" Flitwick exclaimed, grinning. McGonagall looked aghast. "The wrong mixture of potions — or the right mixture, in this case — can be catastrophic! We'll have to step out after the explosion ourselves, unfortunately, to take advantage of the chaos."

"Are you certain about this, Filius?" McGonagall asked.

Flitwick shrugged. "I don't have any better ideas. It's a risk, no doubt about it; but it will thin their numbers while buying us some time."

"Severus, can you—"

"I heard, Minerva," Snape said as he stood. "As much as I am loath to lend any sort of support to such an idea... I cannot deny that it has some small merit." He paused in thought for a moment. "There are certain potions I have on hand which will respond in a satisfactory manner when they come in contact with certain other ingredients — that would be simplest." Turning aside, he summoned several house elves and rattled off a list of items to fetch from his stores, then he resumed his instructions. "All you will need to do is throw the bottles against the doors. I must caution you that once you begin, you will have little time to erect shields to protect yourselves. Now if you'll excuse me, I should go see what's happened with the Headmaster."

"Professor...?"

"Mrs. Potter, I've done all I can to help with... Mrs. Black." His expression softened slightly, though his voice remained stern. "From what I can tell, she will be fine, but I cannot say how long it will take or even when she will awaken." Without another word, he spun and stalked out of the Entrance Hall, his robes billowing behind.

"Pomona, how is everyone up there?" McGonagall asked.

"Scared, but determined," she replied. "I can keep an eye on things and send you a message via patronus when the Death Eaters are in the best position."

McGonagall nodded. "Thank you. Keep them safe."

Sprout impulsively reached out and pulled her long-time colleague into a hug before hurrying off to join all those on the battlements. Not long after that, several elves popped in, each carrying numerous flasks of potions and potion ingredients.

With a final look at Diana, Rose turned her full attention to helping Flitwick, who had some ideas about the best way to use the potions.

* * *

"Take cover!" Professor Sprout hissed right after sending off her patronus with the signal, and everyone instantly obeyed. Less than a minute passed before there was a loud explosion below them, and Ron couldn't resist peeking over the edge to see what had happened.

Death Eaters were on the ground everywhere, though most simply looked dazed. Only a few closest to the front doors appeared to be seriously injured. Or worse. Rose was standing in the ruins of the front doors, a sword in one hand and a fast-moving wand in the other. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick flanked her, while Hagrid loomed behind them, firing his crossbow almost as fast as Rose was casting spells.

"Let 'em have it!" Ron called, and everyone began casting curses and hexes at the disoriented Death Eaters. Now was the perfect time to hit them, since they couldn't easily fight back or defend themselves. At least, it would be perfect, if they could cast accurately enough to actually hit them...

Ron really wished he'd spent more time training with Rose and Hermione, and he was sure the rest of the students were thinking the same thing.

 _"_ _ **Avada Kedavra!**_ _"_

A green killing curse exploded against a stone which one of the professors had levitated in its path. Everyone seemed to freeze and stare at Voldemort, the one who'd cast it.

"The shedding of magical blood has never been my goal," Voldemort shouted. "If you lay down your wands, I promise that the transition of power will proceed peacefully!" The Death Eaters all straightened a bit and looked expectantly at the castle's defenders.

"Does he actually think any of us would agree?" Neville whispered.

Ron snorted. "He's evil, not stupid. Even if he keeps his word, that only means we're safe until he has control of the school. The next day, we could all be executed."

"Or worse," Neville muttered. Ron was tempted to add, "Yeah, or expelled," but he managed to hold his tongue.

"Never!" Rose shouted from below, stepping forward and raising her sword high. "We'll never give in to you!"

"Yeah!" Ron cried in agreement, and the rest of the students on the battlements raised their wands, joining the chorus of defiant shouts.

Voldemort turned his face away for a second, and Ron thought he saw a smirk there. _**Knew**_ _he was lying, the bastard._

An instant later the Dark Lord resumed the attack, his Death Eaters joining him immediately. Many sent killing curses, blatantly imitating Voldemort's disdain of common wizarding mores, but others cast sickly-looking spells which Ron didn't recognize.

It pained him to admit it, but he was glad he was up on the battlements, where there was at least a bit of cover, however quickly it was all falling apart.

* * *

Rose whipped her wand about faster than she'd ever done before. On either side of her, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were casting offensive curses while behind her, Hagrid was using his crossbow. Rose herself spent the bulk of her time focusing on defensive spells — casting shields and levitating debris to serve as physical barriers. As much as she'd improved at magical combat over the past months, her professors were still better, and in this particular fight she could do more good handling defense while leaving them free to attack. Her sword had been struck by an especially brutal curse meant for her and shattered not long before, so even that wasn't an option anymore.

Rose jerked her shield up to deflect another curse before sending off one of her own in reply, then barely cast a shield in time to block another curse meant for Professor Flitwick. She had just turned to levitate a stone to protect McGonagall when she noticed the beginnings of a crack near the edge of her shield. _First my sword, now my shield_ , she lamented. It was her only consistent protection as she struggled to give cover to the others.

 _Why isn't Voldemort doing anything?_ She hadn't noticed at first, being too busy blocking all the spellfire sent their way, but she soon realized that only the Death Eaters were doing anything. Voldemort was simply standing there, alternately watching them and his own people.

Rose felt herself start to slow in her casting; at the same time, she watched as Voldemort began to smile. She was certain that he could tell she was tiring and was about to say something to one of the professors when everyone heard a shout from the battlement above.

"Centaurs!"

At the same time, several large arrows came down into the courtyard. None struck any of the Death Eaters, but several came close, and all of the attackers hesitated briefly as they considered this new, unexpected assault.

"M-my Lord!" cried a black-robed wizard who ran into the courtyard. "We're being attacked!"

Rose squinted as she looked beyond Voldemort and past the ruins of the front gate. With the destruction of the surrounding wall and one of the guard towers, she could now see a battle raging on the far side of the bridge. Centaurs had charged the trolls while Death Eaters exchanged spellfire with several witches and wizards, some of whom wore red robes.

"Let me see!" Voldemort shoved the sniveling Death Eater aside so he could step out through the ruined front gate. He had a better view than Rose, and judging by the way he stood, he clearly didn't like what he saw.

 _"_ _ **Lapides Ruo!**_ _"_

Rose had never heard that incantation before and didn't know what it meant, but its effects were obvious. With one spell, Voldemort caused a large section of the stone bridge to collapse. It didn't blow up; instead, the stones seemed to crumble and disintegrate around the spell's point of impact.

The castle was now largely cut off from any support or reinforcements, and the bulk of the Death Eater forces had a solid foothold in the Entrance Courtyard.

"Potter!" Voldemort bellowed as he stalked back into the courtyard, once again bringing attention to himself with several carefully aimed killing curses. "Potter! Stop hiding behind your teachers like a coward! We both know the prophecy, so step forward and face me! Or would you rather let all your friends die for you first, just like your poor, dear parents!"

Dread clutched at Rose's stomach like an icy fist. She had known this moment was coming — had known it for months, in fact — but that didn't make it any easier. Even so, the weariness she had felt before was burned away as a new wave of adrenaline coursed through her. Despite strenuous protests from the professors, she pushed her way forward and stood as tall as she could. "Well? Here I am."

Voldemort sneered. "Yes, you are, and once again you are alone. There's no one here to stand by your side. No one to hold your hand. No one to save you..."

Truth be told, his words stung more than a little. Diana was supposed to be here. _I mean, yeah, the prophecy says I'm the only one who can defeat him, but I was kind of hoping for backup..._

"...No one to sacrifice themselves for you. Not even Dumbledore, and I'll put him out of his misery once I'm finished with you."

Rose shoved those thoughts away and lifted her chin. "Yeah, you've said that before."

"You could make this so much easier on yourself if you simply surrendered," Voldemort said silkily. "Just give up. Kneel before me and submit. Admit to all that I'm the superior wizard. If you do, maybe I'll go easy on all your little friends."

Rose gripped her wand a little tighter. "Let's just get on with it."

Voldemort lifted his wand with a flourish. "Very well. This time, your luck won't save you."

"I don't need—"

"Wrong!" came a new voice, and Diana pushed her way forward to stand beside her.

Hope sang through Rose as she looked at her wife. "Are you alright?" she whispered, desperate to hug the Amazon yet not daring to drop her guard.

Diana leaned slightly towards her and murmured, "I'll be fine, I promise."

"You!" Voldemort hissed. "I killed you! I cast the killing curse on you with my own wand!"

"Maybe your wand isn't performing as well as you're accustomed to. I hear it's common in men your age."

Rose bit back a laugh at the unexpected quip. Voldemort's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he seemed distracted by his newfound distrust for the wand in his hand. Apparently if his favorite curse had gone wrong, it couldn't be him, and it certainly couldn't be due to any power in Diana, so it must be the wand. "Macnair!" he snapped, holding out his hand expectantly.

With only the barest hesitation, the Death Eater stepped up and handed over his wand. Voldemort waved it appraisingly, nodded, and turned his attention back to Diana.

"You'll pay for that, woman."

"Yes, yes, everyone has to pay to satisfy your ego," Diana replied. "It's getting tiresome. You need to know, though, that I won't leave Rose's side. Your fight with her is also a fight with me."

"Really?" Voldemort drawled. "We shall see." He raised his wand high, then spun to the side and shouted, _"_ _ **Lapides Ruo!**_ _"_

His aim was true, and his curse impacted an area halfway up Gryffindor Tower that was already showing heavy damage.

In what felt like slow motion, the tower began to tilt at an alarming angle as numerous large stones crumbled and gave way.

"Sweet Merlin! There are dozens of students trapped in the tower!" cried McGonagall. "And it'll fall on the hospital wing!"

Diana turned an anguished face towards Rose, and Rose knew what she was thinking: she couldn't let all those people die, even if it meant leaving her to face Voldemort alone.

Rose had heard it said that with great power comes great responsibility. Diana was pretty much the most powerful person she knew, and she had an awful lot of responsibilities to uphold. Marriage didn't change that. She didn't claim to understand Diana's relationship with the Olympians, but she suspected it had a lot to do with the Amazonian views on submission which Diana had tried so hard to explain to her. Even in a moment such as this, Diana bowed to their expectations of her, and in return she trusted that they would watch over her wife and keep her safe when she couldn't.

Whether she was right about that or not, Rose knew where her own responsibilities lay.

"Go! Save them. I'll be OK."

What happened next blurred by so fast that Rose felt it more than saw it. In a glance, Diana took in her missing sword and the crack in her shield. She summoned one of her goblin blades and shoved it into the empty sheath, then called forth her own shield and pushed it into Rose's hands. The Amazon bent and kissed the top of her wife's head, and Rose felt a breath of whispered words against her hair. A ripple of warmth spread out from the kiss to suffuse her whole body.

Then she was gone, streaking up to the massive edifice and pushing back against its sagging weight. Everyone could hear the stones groaning under the stress, but slowly, like a tree falling in reverse, the tower backtracked until it was once more upright. The ancient structure looked as though a stiff breeze might send it toppling again at any moment, but for now, with Diana's support, it held.

"Filius! Take some of the students from the battlements and go to the Tower! Evacuate the Gryffindors before it collapses under them!"

"Now, where were we?" Voldemort asked, ignoring everything and everyone else. He flicked his wand dramatically and sent a silent bone exploding hex in Rose's direction.

* * *

 **Seventh Floor, Hogwarts.**

Dumbledore blinked slowly as a sallow, worried face came into focus.

"Severus?" he rasped.

The dour man barely seemed to notice the question, so intent was he on casting diagnostic charms on the injured headmaster.

"Severus?" he asked again.

"Headmaster, whatever happened has significantly weakened you."

"My injuries—"

"Yes, your previous injury is still affecting you, but now there's more," Snape interrupted. "Unfortunately, I cannot determine what exactly it was, which means I cannot help you. What can you remember?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath, then coughed heavily for several seconds. This only caused Snape to look more concerned. "Help me sit up," he finally said once he got his breathing back under control.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea..." Snape began.

"Please," Dumbledore insisted, and after a moment Snape relented, helping the old man sit up and lean against the corridor wall.

"So, what do you remember?" Snape asked again, and Dumbledore frowned as he tried to focus on recent events. Hospital wing. Owls — so many owls! Organizing the defense of the castle. Then something else happened... He slowly shook his head in consternation.

"Would it have anything to do with all the Death Eaters lying on the floor around the corner?" Snape asked. "I haven't checked on them yet, but I don't think many are all alive."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock, and he made himself crawl far enough to see around the corner Snape had indicated. Down the hall he could see a dozen black-robed bodies scattered around the front of the entrance to his office... scattered in front of where the gargoyle... used to be...

"Oh, no!" he whispered. Now he remembered the horrible chain of events that had occurred before he lost consciousness.

"Headmaster?" Snape moved next to Dumbledore, now sounding positively alarmed. "I don't see Granger or Mala, nor any other students. Were they taken? Is that what's wrong?"

Dumbledore slowly shook his head. "I don't know, but I don't think so."

"Then what's the problem?"

Dumbledore exhaled heavily as he slumped back against the wall. He felt older and more tired than he could ever remember, more so even than when he'd woken up after being brought back from Little Hangleton the month before. _There was so much that I wanted to do, so much that still needs to be done. Even with my injury, I believed that I could continue, if not as quickly..._

"Professor? Headmaster?" came a voice from around the corner.

"Granger, are you injured?"

"Oh, you're awake again!" Hermione said when she appeared. "We were so worried about you, but the portrait convinced us that we had to act fast. If we didn't, who knows what might have happened! All the portraits were in on it, and the Sorting Hat had a plan! Well, sort of a plan, but it was better than we'd have been able to come up with. They were a big help, which—"

"Granger! Stop your insufferable babbling and tell us what happened!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Mala and I ambushed the two Death Eaters who went into your office, Headmaster. One is stunned and, um, the other... the other didn't make it..." Her voice trailed off in a whisper.

"You acted correctly," Snape replied brusquely. "Any of the Death Eaters would have killed you without a second thought. Are you both uninjured?"

"We're fine. Fortunately, they were too focused on finding something in the headmaster's office — that's why we were able to surprise them."

"What were they looking for? Did they find it?" Snape asked, frowning.

"The main ward stone," Hermione answered. "And no, I don't think they found it."

Dumbledore couldn't prevent himself from chuckling. "No, they wouldn't have. And yet, they did all the same."

"Headmaster?" Hermione said, confused.

"His new injuries must be worse than I thought," Snape muttered. "Do you remember exactly what happened to him?"

"Well, there was a wave of magic that hit us after the gargoyle was destroyed," Hermione said slowly. "That knocked us all unconscious. I don't know how long after that Mala and I woke up, and that's when the portrait told us we needed to get to the headmaster's office."

Snape immediately stood and began casting diagnostic charms on Hermione. "There doesn't seem to be anything unusual wrong with you. Certainly nothing like what's happened to the Headmaster."

"Severus," Dumbledore said, still chuckling to himself, "help me up."

"Albus, you're in no shape to—"

"I know, Severus, I know. But we're long past the point where we have any real choice in the matter." Snape looked down at the old man, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. Then Dumbledore held out his left hand. "Severus, please."

Without another word, Snape reached out and pulled the Headmaster to his feet. Hermione immediately moved to the unsteady wizard's right side so he could lean on her shoulders.

"To my office," he said. His voice was weak, but he was starting to feel stronger. The closer he got to the office, the more energy he had. It was a far cry from feeling whole and healthy, but it would be enough. It had to be enough.

"Can you make it up the stairs, sir?"

"I won't need to."

As they approached, Mala came trotting down the spiral steps. "What's going on?" she asked. "One of the portraits said I was needed."

"Oh, dear," Dumbledore said softly, looking at what the Amazon was holding gently against her midsection. "Fawkes. I'm so sorry, I nearly forgot about you."

 _"Chirp?"_

Mala smiled as she looked down at the chick. "The Sorting Hat told me that he was vulnerable and would need you." She held him out, but Dumbledore slowly shook his head.

"I'm afraid not — not anymore. However, you are correct that he is vulnerable right now and will need a bonded human." He smiled sadly at the phoenix. "I am sorry, Fawkes. If this were a few days later, you'd have the choice of going off on your own; but as it is, if you're going to survive, I'm afraid that there's but one option open to you."

"Albus!" Snape said, shocked.

 _"Chirp!"_ Fawkes stretched out towards Dumbledore's right side.

"A good choice, my old friend. A good choice indeed." He looked down at the witch who was helping him stand. "Miss Granger, if you would be so kind as to take Fawkes?"

Hermione reached out uncertainly, accepting the phoenix from an equally confused Mala. "Headmaster?" she asked.

"You probably don't realize it, Miss Granger, but the wards of the castle have fallen. Catastrophically, in fact."

Hermione and Mala gasped, but Snape nodded. "That was the wave of magical energy we felt, then?"

"Yes, it was."

"But how did they manage it?" Hermione asked. "When I was helping Diana with the castle's defenses, she made it clear that the castle's main ward stone was hidden in a way that no one would ever find it!"

Dumbledore fought the urge to chuckle again. "Indeed it was. The Founders thought themselves rather clever in their solution for how to best hide the heart of Hogwarts' defenses. A bit _too_ clever, perhaps. They decided to hide it right out in the open, where no one would ever think to look." He gestured at the now-empty plinth to the side of the spiral staircase. "It was the gargoyle, Miss Granger. That was the main ward stone, and when the Death Eaters destroyed it, they destroyed not only the castle's defenses, but the heart of its magic."

"Its magic?" Hermione repeated, stunned.

"The walls!" Snape's eyes grew wide with alarm. "Before I came up here, the castle's walls were taking far more damage than they should have been. I didn't give it much thought at the time, but..."

Dumbledore nodded. "Exactly so. Magic makes Hogwarts what she is. Magic causes the stairs to move, provides energy for the wards, and gives strength to the very stones themselves. Without the main ward stone, without the heart of the castle's magic, the flow of magic has been disrupted. Soon everything will fall apart, for the design and structure of Hogwarts simply cannot exist without magic."

"Surely there's something you can do," Mala insisted.

"Indeed there is," Dumbledore said softly. "The Founders made provisions for the possibility of the main ward stone being destroyed or severely damaged. The secret to replacing it and thereby rejuvenating the castle's magic is passed along from headmaster to headmaster, just like the secret of the ward stone itself."

"What can we do?" Snape asked. "Without the castle's defenses, we won't be able to hold off the Dark Lord, and if he wins, it might not matter if Hogwarts survives."

"There is nothing you can do," Dumbledore answered. "It is a task that can be fulfilled by none other than the current headmaster, for none but the headmaster can be entrusted with the continuing safety and welfare of the school and her students. We all take an oath to protect the students, no matter what the cost to ourselves."

Hermione looked down at the tiny phoenix chick in her hands, then looked back up at Dumbledore, fear in her eyes. "Headmaster?"

"Tell me, Miss Granger, did you ever have the feeling the the castle somehow knew what it was doing?" He straightened up a bit and stepped over to the plinth. "For example, did you ever notice that the stairs moved in just the right way to ensure that you got to class on time?"

Hermione nodded. "You're talking about the castle being sentient, aren't you? You mentioned that earlier. Is it because of how much magic is performed here? Has magic cause Hogwarts to become sentient on some level?"

"That is nearly correct," Dumbledore said, turning around to face them. "There is a sentience in the castle, but magic cannot create true sentience, no more than an incantation can create life itself. The truth, the terrible truth that has been a burden to every headmaster, is that the castle's sentience comes not from centuries of magic, but rather a human mind." With a sigh, he took a step back and sat on the stone plinth.

"Albus?" Snape whispered as the answer started to dawn on him. "Let me, instead..."

"It's alright, Severus," Dumbledore said, feeling a lot calmer than he'd expected to. "Everyone who takes the oath to become headmaster is aware that this is a possibility, though it's only happened twice before in Hogwarts' history. The first was Godric Gryffindor himself, in fact."

"I don't understand — what are you talking about?" Mala asked, growing upset. Hermione simply pointed to Dumbledore's feet, and Mala sucked in a breath when she saw that they'd already turned grey and were slowly morphing into bird-like talons.

"Ow!" Hermione exclaimed, looking down at Fawkes. "He bit me!"

"It's necessary for the bond to form immediately," Snape told her distractedly. "He doesn't have enough time to let it grow gradually."

The grey had reached Dumbledore's knees and was working its way up towards his waist.

Hermione stuck her finger in her mouth, sucking at the place where Fawkes' sharp beak had drawn blood. She stared at the Headmaster for several seconds as tears welled in her eyes. Finally, she said, "Rose will be very cross with you."

Dumbledore nodded. "I imagine so, but this really is for the best." Then he started. "Take this, quickly!" he said, holding out his wand. "Make sure you return it to her."

"Headmaster?" Hermione asked as she stepped forward and took the wand from him.

"It was only a loan, and it must be returned to her." He met her watery gaze and smiled sadly. "And please tell Rose... that I'm sorry."

His legs now looked like those of a giant bird, and the grey was moving up his torso.

"In any war, sacrifices have to be made," Snape murmured.

"True, Severus, but not only in war," Dumbledore replied. It was difficult to speak, but the transformation wasn't painful. "Willingness to give up something of ourselves for the sake of another — be it our ego, our plans, or even our lives — is, in many ways, the essence of love. Wouldn't you agree?"

Snape hesitated, then he nodded a fraction. "Any final messages?"

Dumbledore smiled. The grey had reached his shoulders, and great stone wings were growing out of his back. "Unnecessary, for I am not really going anywhere. I shall always be here, and help will always be given here at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

The ancient wizard's eyes grew serene, then hardened as the grey crawled across his face. His head shifted and stretched to that of a large bird, its beak partially open as if calling out. Whereas the previous gargoyle had taken the form of a gryphon, Dumbledore looked like a phoenix. In fact, he looked almost exactly like a statue of Fawkes in his prime, except for the curious addition of a pair of half-moon spectacles perched on his beak.

 _"Chirp?"_ Fawkes trilled mournfully, and Hermione held him tight.

"Don't worry, Fawkes. I promise I'll take care of you."

"I... I can't believe he..." Mala reached out to the stone gargoyle that had been the headmaster a few moments earlier, but jumped and pulled her hand back at the sound of someone clearing his throat behind her.

"Ahem." Everyone turned to look at the portrait that hung opposite the gargoyle. "Hogwarts is whole once again. It will be a few minutes before the worst of the damage can be reversed, though longer for the wards to power up once again."

"What about the statues and suits of armor?" Mala asked, grasping the amulet around her neck.

The portrait's eyes grew distant briefly before it said, "They should probably be available now. However, the crisis has been averted."

" _That_ crisis, you mean," Snape replied with a scowl. "We still have Death Eaters and the Dark Lord assaulting the castle, unless you have some means for averting that as well?"

"Er... no, sorry."

"Then stop pestering us!" He turned to the other two. "Come, we have more important things to do than listen to babbling portraits." His cloak billowed behind him as he stalked down the corridor, not bothering to look to see if Hermione and Mala followed. "And maybe you should consider finally activating those defenses before everyone is killed!"

* * *

 **Courtyard, Hogwarts.**

Rose and Voldemort circled each other warily, wands out, as the onlookers kept well back. Diana's short sword was still in the sheath on her back — she doubted she could get close enough to use it — but the shield was a reassuring weight on her arm. By now Diana's defensive tactics had become second nature to her, and there was little enough cover in the open courtyard.

She realized then how tightly she was gripping her wand and forced herself to relax. She took one deep breath, then another, trying to center herself as Diana had taught her. Mind focused. Body alert. Heart composed, with no thoughts of vengeance. Her whole life had been leading towards this moment, and she knew she had to be ready.

She ruthlessly squelched the small, shrill voice inside her that demanded to know what she thought she was playing at.

As if he had heard her errant thoughts, Voldemort smiled maliciously. "So, the Chosen One has come to meet me in combat at last," he purred, his voice carrying easily despite the distance between them. "Tell me, girl, did they give you any advice to help get you ready? Teach you any spells that might prepare you for a fight with the greatest wizard the world has ever known? Or did they simply shove you in front of me, hoping you'd save them, like a sacrifice to appease an angry god?"

 _Words,_ Rose reminded herself firmly, consciously keeping her breathing even. There was a time when it had felt like the Ministry — and most of wizarding Britain, in fact — was trying to do exactly that. But then Diana had come into her life and taught her, not just to fight, but how to be a _warrior_. How to be an Amazon. And somehow, it had made all the difference. She didn't know if that training would keep her alive, or how she was supposed to defeat a Dark Lord; but if it meant that she could save her friends and all the people counting on her, then she knew she had to try. And she knew she had the strength to meet whatever the Fates had in store for her.

So she remained calm and said only, "I've learned a few things since last we met." She shifted her grip on her shield and kept circling.

Voldemort seemed taken aback at her lack of reaction. He tried again. "Yes, I've heard — hiding behind crude hunks of metal rather than a true magical shield. Capering about like a child. Rolling in the dirt like an animal. All muggle tricks, beneath the dignity of a proper witch. But then, you were raised by animals yourself, so you could scarcely know what it means to be a proper witch, could you?" He tutted in mock sadness. "Such a shame. Such a disappointment to your fellow wizards and witches! But cheer up — you won't have to be the Girl Who _Lived_ for much longer!"

With that final word, he raised his arm high and hurled a bolt of purple that sizzled as it flew towards her. Rose had been expecting it, however, and flung herself to the right, getting well clear before it reached her. She resumed her defensive stance and kept moving.

"I see my servants were right about you," he called. "How prettily you dance! But dancing won't save you from Lord Voldemort!"

This time he sent a volley of chained spells at her, varying in color but all crackling menacingly. Rose moved right again, hitting the ground rolling and coming up gracefully to a standing position.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he watched her. "Aren't you going to fight back?" he taunted. "This will get rather tedious if I have to do all the attacking, but if you insist..."

As Rose had hoped, he aimed a bit to the right with his next spell, obviously expecting her to move that way again; so she stepped left and used his moment of distraction to follow up with an attack of her own. _"Confringo!"_ she whispered. Silent casting had never been her forte, but at least she didn't have to shout the incantation if she had enough focus.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get through his defenses, and he flicked it away as if it were an annoying insect.

"Ah, so she's a witch after all!" he cried, his sardonic laughter ringing in the courtyard. "Very good! Let's make a real fight of it, then!"

And then the battle began in earnest. Rose had so many spells flying at her that she half thought she was back in the fight at Hogsmeade, trying to hold off a dozen Death Eaters by herself. She dodged, she rolled, she threw up magical shields left and right; she made judicious use of Diana's shield, and she summoned debris to intercept the nastier looking curses. By staying unpredictable, she managed to keep ahead of him and avoid any direct hits.

The trouble was, she couldn't land any blows of her own. _Bombarda! Incendio! Diffindo! Confringo! Perforo! Sectumsempra!_ On and on. She tried everything she knew, but his magical defenses were ironclad, and nothing she did could get through. Since her own defenses relied on speed and agility, she knew it was only a matter of time before she tired and was a little too slow...

 _I need something he can't block,_ she thought. She remembered the training sessions with Hermione, where she would alternate spells with physical attacks, and it gave her an idea.

As fast as she could run, she hurtled toward him and swept low, as if she were scything a sword at his shins; but instead of using the blade, she stopped well short of striking distance and incanted, _"_ _ **Diffindo!**_ _,"_ hoping to cut his feet from under him.

The complexity of the maneuver meant that she couldn't cast quietly, however, and it was enough warning for him to deflect it.

The Dark Lord looked outraged. "Did you think you could kill me with a child's cutting charm?!" he shouted, sounding genuinely offended.

"Maybe not, but it was enough to make you bleed," Rose said, pointing to a small splash of red on the ground. Her spell had obviously nicked him, and it offered a ray of hope. _First blood,_ she thought with satisfaction.

He snarled and redoubled his efforts, which was almost enough to make Rose wish she hadn't cut him. She was breathing hard now, and the repeated impacts on her body from earth and shield and flying debris were taking their toll.

 _At this point, I'd be happy if I could foul his aim,_ she realized wearily, a hint of despair creeping in. _At least then I'd get a break..._ Thinking of the abrasions she could feel on her face, when she next saw him raise his wand, she incanted _"Bombarda!"_ at his feet, sending a gratifying cloud of rock and dirt into the air around him. Before the air had cleared, however, she heard a _**crack**_ , and suddenly he was right behind her.

She spun and backpedaled wildly, casting a shield on herself when she saw his arm go high, and diving out of the way when it came back down again in a sharp gesture. When his arm rose up once more, in desperation she cast _"Glacius!"_ at his feet, causing the ground on which he stood to ice over.

For a moment he actually lost his balance, and Rose dared to hope for a respite; but then he simply levitated in the air, hovering above the slick ground, and darkness gathered around him in his anger.

"Children's charms!" he bellowed. "Muggle tricks! _Pranking spells!_ This is intolerable! You _dare_ insult Lord Voldemort with such absurdities!" His wand flashed dramatically, and the wall of sheer force that came rushing at her, even though she met it with both physical and magical shields, was enough to send her flying backwards almost ten meters. When she finally crashed to the ground, her head hit hard and her wand went flying off somewhere. Her vision faded to murky brown as she fought to retain consciousness.

Voldemort floated over to her and settled lightly to the ground about three meters from where she lay. He chuckled softly, his rage of a moment before apparently spent.

"And so, Rose Potter, it's come to this: The Girl Who Lived is exposed as a fraud. A no-account, muggle-loving half blood of no special talent, a pathetic little girl who only survived because of a fluke of magic when she was too young to even hold a wand. And now everyone will know it. Everyone will see that their beloved 'Chosen One' is no match for the power and might of Lord Voldemort!"

He went on like that for some time, but Rose was only half listening. She gritted her teeth and climbed painfully to her feet. If she was about to die, as she had decided in that graveyard so long ago, it wasn't going to be lying in the dirt. She stood before him, wandless, and was surprised at how calm she was. She felt no fear, only regret that she hadn't been strong enough — and now her friends would pay the price.

"...Voldemort the Deathless! Voldemort the Invincible!..."

She wondered if she'd be allowed to see Diana when her time eventually came. Or did Amazons get sent somewhere else when they died?

"...restore pure-blooded wizardry to its rightful place..."

Merciful Minerva, would he never _shut up?_

"...So die, Rose Potter — die in the knowledge of your utter failure!"

With that, he raised his wand high for the last time.

In that surreal moment, something struck her as odd, and even foolish, about the way he had his arm lifted. All at once, realization hit her: although she had been using Diana's defensive tactics throughout, she had been thinking of this duel primarily as a magical one. Voldemort was always one for the dramatic gesture, and because they rarely got close to each other in a fight, wizards didn't have to worry about mundane things like defensive stances, or leaving their flanks exposed.

But she wasn't limited to just one mode of combat.

With a final flourish and a look of pure triumph, Voldemort began the words of the killing curse; yet before he even opened his mouth, she was already moving, hurling herself into a diving roll to close the gap between them. In one smooth motion, she came out of the roll and pulled the goblin blade from the sheath at her back, thrusting it upward with all the power that momentum and her own hard-earned strength could give her.

The green bolt went wide at the impact, and Lord Voldemort looked down with considerable surprise at the sword hilt protruding at an angle from under his ribcage, Rose's hand still on it. He stared at it for a moment, uncomprehending, before his strength gave way. He sank to his knees with a ragged cry.

When his wand fell from his nerveless fingers, she snatched it up and broke it.

Rose stood up straight, trying to bring her labored breathing under control. Without taking her eyes from the dying wizard in front of her, she held out her hand and summoned her own wand. She sensed a presence suddenly come up behind her and she tensed, but before she could turn around she felt Diana's warm hand on her shoulder. Confused, she directed her gaze up toward Gryffindor Tower; yet the massive structure was not only stable, it seemed to be... healing. All around her, the castle walls were apparently repairing themselves, albeit slowly. She'd have to ask Diana about that later.

"This is not the end," wheezed the figure at her feet, his voice barely audible to the two women. "I am immortal. I have taken steps... to ensure that death cannot touch me..."

"You mean your diary?" Rose interrupted. "That old ring? Maybe Slytherin's locket?"

Voldemort's mouth fell open.

"Yes, we know about them," Diana said quietly. "We've already taken care of them."

"And if there are any we missed, I'll kill you again," Rose finished. "I've done it often enough now."

A look of helpless rage contorted his features, but for the first time that morning, there was real fear there, too. He opened his mouth again and tried to respond, only to have the agony of his injury finally overtake him. His breath now came in tearing gasps. Fumbling at the hilt, he seemed to be trying to magically stop the black blood oozing from the wound, but she knew it was hopeless. No magic would repair the damage wrought by the goblin-made weapon.

And still... he didn't die. The wound was clearly, indisputably fatal, but apparently it wasn't _immediately_ fatal.

Rose found that she wasn't quite prepared for this moment. All the times she had envisioned this fight, all the times she'd dreamed — and had nightmares — about how it might end, she had never seriously considered that she might someday have Lord Voldemort at her feet, alive and completely in her power. Or what she might do with that power. Admittedly, there had been times in the last few years when she had fantasized about paying him back for all the pain he had caused her; but now that the opportunity was before her, he looked so... pathetic. Broken, in body if not in spirit.

She looked up and saw that Diana was watching her carefully, but her wife said nothing. Evidently it was her own choice to make.

Nobody would blame her if she simply stood there and watched him suffer until the end, however long it took. Hell, she doubted that anyone would speak a word against her if she viciously twisted the blade and shoved it deeper — if anyone had earned such treatment, it was surely him. Given how far away her friends were standing, she doubted they would even know.

But _she_ would know. And that was enough.

She faced him squarely and saw a face wracked by agony but eyes still filled with loathing. She took a deep breath. "No matter what torments you may deserve, Tom Riddle, I'm not going to be the one to inflict them on you. Not today. _**Diffindo!**_ _"_

The Dark Lord's eyes went abruptly blank as the cutting charm passed through him, leaving a thin red line where it intersected his neck. His lifeless body slumped to the ground with a dull thud, the head landing a little ways away.

A dark mist rose up around the corpse then. It briefly formed the shape of a screaming face before it disintegrated, blowing away in the morning breeze.

"Maybe we did get them all, then," Rose murmured.

Diana nodded. A moment later, she said mildly, "An appropriate spell, given his earlier comments."

Rose cocked an eyebrow at her. "So you heard that, did you?" Then she smiled slightly. "Well, I said I wouldn't be the one to let him suffer — I never claimed I'd leave his colossal ego intact."

Diana flashed a smile to match her own, though her expression grew serious a moment later. She turned and laid her hands on Rose's shoulders, squeezing gently. "I'm proud of you, you know, " she said, her eyes bright. _"Well done._ I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"You were there when it mattered," Rose said, thinking of all the countless hours spent patiently training her over the past year. "I would have been lost without you."

Diana gave her a quizzical smile but didn't argue the point, especially not when Rose pulled her into a fierce hug.

A shout from behind reminded them that there were still enemies in the courtyard, though they soon realized that it wasn't a shout of anger. The Death Eaters appeared to be too stunned at the demise of their master to attack, and they wouldn't get the chance because a large force of armor and statues was pouring out of the Entrance Hall with Hermione and Mala at the head.

Near the guard towers, several Death Eaters recovered enough to try to flee, but they found that the bridge was still impassible because of Voldemort's earlier spell. They were trapped, and when a squad of armor approached them, halberds extended, they dropped their wands in surrender.

Rose and Diana pulled each other into another embrace, and they were soon joined by Hermione and Mala. The four women stood there silently for a long time, holding on tight. Despite everything, they'd survived. They were alive and they had one another. That was all that mattered.

 _"Chirp? Chirp, Chirp!"_

"Hermione? Why are you carrying Fawkes around?"


	24. Epilogue- All You Need Is A Strong Heart

**A/N:** Here it is, the end! Thanks of course to Bonnie for spending a large amount of her time beta reading this story. It's much better than it would have been had she not helped so much. You rock! Thanks also to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I'm glad that people have enjoyed it.

You won't be seeing anything new from me until at least January, at which point I'll either be posting some new potential intro chapters (probably _Worm_ crossovers) or the next installment of the _Iris Potter_ series (finally!). The former is more likely than the latter.

 **Recommendation:** _A Finger of Suspicion_ , by Old Toad. In this crossover between Harry Potter and _New Tricks_ , UCOS is tasked with solving a 1981 "gas explosion" which killed at least a dozen people on a London street. The case has never been solved because none of the surviving witnesses could remember much about what happened. The only evidence they have left is a bit of a man's finger.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own Wonder Woman, DC does.

* * *

 **Chapter 24 - Epilogue: All You Need is a Strong Heart**

 **Nine Years Later.**

The stone corridor stood silent and empty, waiting. Then a burst of flame lit it up, and four women in flowing white robes appeared. The phoenix whose tail feathers they were holding hovered briefly before landing on the shoulder of a brunette with chocolate-brown eyes.

The youngest, a redhead with green eyes, stepped forward and looked around.

"It hasn't changed. I mean, it looks as if we might have walked out yesterday."

"Instead of nearly a decade ago?"

Rose gave her friend an aggrieved look; it was an old argument. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I just... I couldn't."

"I know," Hermione replied, her voice soft with sympathy. "But avoiding this place hasn't been doing you any favors."

Rose sighed. "That's probably why Fawkes brought us here instead of directly to her office."

"Flaming right into her office would have been a bit rude, wouldn't it?" Mala asked.

"Come on," Diana said, putting a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Let's go find out what she wants and why she insisted we all had to come as soon as possible."

As a group they walked down the corridor, and as a group they all stopped in front of a familiar gargoyle. Once again, Rose stepped forward. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore," she whispered, raising one hand but not quite touching the stone. "I'm sorry I never returned, but after that day, and after all that happened that year, well..."

The gargoyle remained silent, neither accusing nor reassuring.

"Right," Rose went on, taking a deep breath. "So, uh, Headmistress McGonagall asked for us all to come, but she didn't give us the password. I don't suppose you'd—"

Without a sound, the gargoyle slid aside, and the spiral staircase began to rise up to the Headmistress's Office.

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said as they mounted the stairs. Rose knocked and waited for a clipped "Enter" before opening the door. Inside, she found the room much changed from what she had known under Dumbledore. Gone were the many odd trinkets that had been scattered about. In their place were even more bookcases, all filled with old books of various sizes and ages. Rose couldn't miss how Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Good afternoon," McGonagall said, rising from behind her desk. Fawkes crooned and flew from Hermione's shoulder to McGonagall's, where he began to preen around her ear. "And hello to you, too, Fawkes. I got out Albus' old perch for you." Fawkes chirped in surprise and turned his head to where his old golden perch stood by an open window. He didn't hesitate to fly over and sit contentedly in the sun.

McGonagall smiled at the sight before turning back to her other visitors. "Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing to the chairs arranged in front of her desk before taking her own place behind it. "I'm glad you all decided to come, though to be honest I wasn't sure you would." Her gaze moved from one woman to the next before finally settling on Rose.

"We've... been busy," Rose said. She glanced at the others, but none of them rushed to support her.

"Hm," McGonagall replied as she opened a large book sitting on the desk. "I suppose that's true, more or less." As she flipped through the pages, Rose noticed that instead of writing, the book was filled with newspaper clippings. Though upside down, many of the photos were familiar.

"Are those about us?" Diana asked.

"Indeed they are," McGonagall said. "Once you left, I decided to keep an eye on the muggle press. I wasn't surprised to see that Rose began helping once you rejoined the Justice League."

Diana nodded. "She isn't a full time member, but does help with especially tricky situations. Mala and Hermione, too, occasionally."

McGonagall closed the book and tapped her finger thoughtfully on the cover as she looked them over again. "Would anyone like some tea?" she asked suddenly. The others declined, but she poured a cup for herself. She remained silent as she prepared it, then took a sip.

"I suppose you're wondering why I needed to see you all so urgently," she finally said.

"Yes, none of your previous letters or invitations sounded so desperate," Diana replied.

"It's gotten to the point where I simply cannot wait any longer."

"Wait for what?" Hermione asked.

McGonagall sighed. "I'm getting old. My time here is coming to an end."

There was an immediate outburst of surprise and concern.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Rose demanded. She took a quick inventory of the older woman's limbs. "Are you cursed?"

"No, no!" McGonagall said quickly. "Nothing like that! I meant, my time here at Hogwarts is coming to an end."

"So you're not ill?" Hermione insisted, her eyes narrowed.

"No more than is typical for a witch of my age," McGonagall explained. "But I am getting slower, and keeping up with my responsibilities as headmistress is getting harder. Frankly, I'm not sure how Albus managed, especially when combined with his duties in both the Wizengamot and ICW."

Hermione's expression lightened. "Time Turner?" she suggested with a knowing grin.

McGonagall opened her mouth to reply, then frowned and turned to look over her shoulder. The portrait of Dumbledore, which like all the others had been silent, showed him suspiciously asleep. Her frown was even deeper when she turned back to her guests. "An interesting solution that bears further study. **Curious** that it hasn't come up before," she said pointedly, and rather loudly.

"You've been here at Hogwarts for a long time, haven't you?" Diana observed.

McGonagall smiled thinly. "Fifty years this December."

"That long?" Mala asked. "You definitely deserve a chance to retire and relax."

"But what does that have to do with us?" Rose asked.

"I need a replacement," McGonagall said, once again fixing her gaze on the green-eyed witch. "I don't want to retire without being assured that I'm leaving Hogwarts in the best hands possible."

Rose stared at her in disbelief. "Professor, surely you can't possibly mean me?"

McGonagall nodded.

"That's absurd — I'm not the least bit qualified!"

McGonagall raised one eyebrow, then pulled out a sheaf of parchment. "As I said, I've been keeping my eye on you. All of you." She thumbed idly through the pages. "For example, I know that you and Hermione both sat for your NEWTs here in Britain despite not coming back for your seventh year. The two of you got EE or O in all of your exams, including all of the core classes."

"But that doesn't mean that I'm qualified to teach, much less do your job."

"There are also the many letters which Hermione has written to me," McGonagall continued, pulling out another sheaf of parchment. Rose shot Hermione a glare, but the brunette witch found something far more interesting on the other side of the room to look at. "According to Hermione, the two of you have made great strides in teaching the Amazons of Themyscira non-wanded magical subjects from our world: Potions, Arithmancy, even Runes. So I know you can teach, and I know you can administer a school, even if it's a relatively informal school of adult students."

"But... but this is Hogwarts!"

"True," McGonagall conceded. "Hogwarts does have high standards and a strong reputation to uphold."

Rose threw up her hands in exasperation. "Then why am I here?"

"Just because you aren't qualified _now_ doesn't mean you can't be in the future," McGonagall said sternly. "Basic skills in teaching and administration can be easily taught, providing you have any aptitude at all. Those are things which almost anyone can do. But not just anyone can be Headmistress."

"I don't understand."

McGonagall sighed. "Being Headmistress here is about much more than teaching, hiring staff, signing parchment, and so forth. At its core, it's about caring for the students and the future they represent. It's about being willing and able to do whatever it takes to protect them, to teach them, and to help them create the future of our society. Even, and perhaps especially, when they don't appreciate it. The ability to make the sacrifices that are sometimes necessary is not something that just anyone can do, and it certainly can't be taught."

Rose looked over McGonagall's shoulder at the still-sleeping portrait of Dumbledore. "And you think that I...?"

"Think? I _know_ you have them. I knew back in your first year, when I heard about you and your friends rushing off to save the Philosopher's Stone despite my admonition that you return to your dorm. Everything you've done since has only reinforced that impression."

"I don't know," Rose said doubtfully. "I've been gone for so long."

"That simply means you have perspective," McGonagall countered. "You have more practical magical experience in a greater variety of situations and knowledge of more cultures than most who have sat in this chair. Leaving Hogwarts before completing your education is a slight mark against you, but having been away is probably more of a benefit than not. You'd bring things to this school that no one else would be able to."

Rose fell silent as she considered that.

Hermione spoke up. "Headmistress—"

"Please, call me Minerva."

She smiled. "Minerva, why did you ask the rest of us here? Unless you hoped that we'd help convince Rose?"

McGonagall tapped the book again. "I'm not a fool. I know that the four of you are more or less a package deal, and if I want her to come, then I'll need to make provisions for the rest of you as well." She paused to look at Diana. "Well, most of the rest of you. I assume that you won't give up your duties with the Justice League."

"Us? Really?" Hermione sounded much more excited than Rose had.

"I hardly think that I could—" Mala started.

"I know that you and Diana sat for OWLs and later NEWTs in the same non-wand classes which these two have been teaching. I also know that the two of you have helped bring some of our magic to your people. In many ways, your accomplishments make you more impressive candidates than a British witch or wizard with the same scores."

"Wouldn't we need a Mastery in a subject in order to teach it?" Hermione asked.

McGonagall nodded. "Ideally, yes, and that's why I wanted to see you now, so there's time to take care of such details. My intention for you, Rose, would be to have you come serve as Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching assistant for the next year, then take over the position the following year. That should give you plenty of time to fulfill the requirements for a Defense Mastery. Assuming, of course, they don't automatically give you one for everything you've done already. After a year or two of full-time teaching, I'd start training you on my job, perhaps as Deputy Headmistress, and hopefully you'd be able to take over a few years after that. The more of my duties you can help with, the longer I can probably stay on to mentor you. I might even be able to say on for a couple of years after you officially take over, teaching a bit and offering advice."

"What about Remus?" Rose asked. "I thought he loved teaching Defense here."

"He does, but he's decided that he'd rather teach History. It's long past time that Binns moved on."

"Oh, he'd be good at that," Hermione said. "His books on the two Blood Wars were fascinating."

"Speaking of Defense, I assume you still haven't heard anything about what happened to Snape?" Rose asked with a scowl, and Diana put a hand on hers.

"Not a thing," McGonagall answered, "not since he disappeared a week after the battle."

"It does no good to dwell on him," Diana cautioned. "He's in the past—he doesn't matter anymore."

"I know, I know," Rose replied tiredly. _What_ _ **is**_ _it about this place,_ she wondered, rubbing at her temples. _I haven't thought about Snape in years, yet I'm here ten minutes and suddenly all the old resentments come boiling up again. It's like I never left._

"If it'll make you feel any better, I doubt he's off somewhere enjoying the quiet life," Hermione offered. "He was a brilliant Potions Master, and as a Slytherin, he was also ambitious. I suspect he could have accomplished a great deal if he'd had the chance. But he likely can't continue to do major potions research, since that might attract the wrong sort of attention. And even if he is, he's not doing it under his own name."

"Which means there's no chance of his name going down in history as making any great discoveries or accomplishments," Rose finished for her, and Hermione nodded.

"It's a more appropriate punishment than prison, given all the years he spent actively working against Voldemort," Diana added. "Unlike Draco Malfoy, who's still in Azkaban for his crimes."

"Getting back to the subject at hand," McGonagall interjected smoothly, "Hermione and Mala could do something similar to what I propose for you, Rose. Filius has been speaking more often lately about retiring so he could travel, and Bathsheda has mentioned a few times that she's thought about moving to America to live closer to family. I'm sure they would both be happy to train teaching assistants while helping them achieve Masteries in Charms and Runes. Alternatively, we could always revive the position of Castle Warden for you, Mala, if you didn't want to teach." She turned to face Diana. "Of course, you'd be welcome to take that position instead, if you'd like. Since we're not currently facing a Dark Lord, I doubt it would interfere much with your other obligations."

Hermione, Mala, and Diana all looked thoughtful for a long moment, then as one they all turned to stare at Rose.

"What?" Rose asked once she realized she'd become the center of attention.

"I think they're waiting to see what your response is," McGonagall said.

Diana reached out and grasped Rose's hand. "We don't have to do this, but for a while now I've gotten the sense that you've been restless. As if you haven't been entirely satisfied with things."

"Have I?" Rose asked, her eyebrows rising. "I honestly hadn't realized." She considered that, then continued, "I suppose I _have_ been looking for something else. Something more."

"You enjoy the teaching, just like you enjoyed running the DA in our fifth year," Hermione pointed out. "But there's only so much you can teach the women on Themyscira, and I think you're starting to run up against those limits."

"At least until we start having children," Diana added.

"Is that in the near future?" McGonagall asked, sitting up a bit straighter. "Is it something we'd need to plan around?"

"No, not yet," Diana answered. "The introduction of Rose and Hermione and their magic has opened the door for my people to have children for the first time, but not everyone is convinced that it's a good idea. We've been a static, stable community for so long that many are worried about what such a change would do to us."

"And how do you feel about it?" McGonagall asked.

"Oh, we definitely want children," Rose answered. "Even if no one else on Themyscira wants to, we will. But not quite yet."

McGonagall relaxed again. "Well, there are provisions for staff members who are pregnant or who have families, though they haven't been needed for some time now."

"I'm pretty sure that Dobby and Winky will insist on caring for any children," Mala said with a smirk.

Hermione groaned. "Please, don't mention babies around Winky! She's spends half her days planning out how to take care of them as it is!"

"As amusing as all this is, I think we're getting off topic," McGonagall reminded them, turning to Rose. "I hope you understand now why I've come to you. Why I believe that, with the proper preparation, you will be the right person to hand Hogwarts over to."

Rose exhaled heavily, and she stared off into the distance. She hadn't felt this off-balance in a long time. "I suppose," she finally, "but... this is a big decision." She looked back up at the Headmistress. "May I have some time to consider it?"

"Of course—there's no need to give an answer right away. But I will need one by the end of the month, because if you don't wish to do this, I'll need time to start making other arrangements."

"We made plans to use this visit to see other friends, so we'll be here for a few days," Hermione offered.

"I'll give you an answer before we leave Britain," Rose said as she stood.

McGonagall nodded, standing as well. "Thank you for coming," she said, then she met her former student's gaze with a peculiar intensity. "Rose, do give this serious thought. I understand why you left and why you didn't feel you could return, but things are changing. For the better. We really could use you. Hogwarts could use you."

* * *

The sounds of laughter and good cheer greeted them as they entered the Hog's Head that evening. Rose and Diana paused for a moment just inside the doorway, drinking in the sights and scanning the crowd for their friends.

"A witch and an Amazon walk into a bar," a voice with a familiar Irish lilt drawled from across the room. "Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke!" Seamus Finnegan, wearing a grubby apron, had paused in his labors bussing tables and grinned at them from ear to ear. A few years after his brother died, Aberforth had decided that he wanted to enjoy a bit of living before he died as well, so he sold his bar to Seamus. The young man had only acquired the money to buy the bar after placing a long-shot, drunken bet on the Chudley Cannons actually winning their final game of the 1999 season.

Rose didn't think the place looked much more respectable now than it had under Aberforth's management, but at least the glasses seemed to be cleaner.

She rolled her eyes at him but returned the grin. "Hey, Seamus!" She gazed around again, her brow furrowed. "Are Ron and the others here yet?"

On catching his name over the noise, Ron turned from where he was seated in the far corner and waved them over. Rose looked more closely and realized to her surprise that everyone was already there, they just looked a lot older than she remembered.

There were hugs and laughter and drinks all around, and for a while Rose enjoyed catching up with her friends too much to bring up any weightier subjects. Eventually, however, the topic turned to why they were back in Britain, and Rose dropped the bombshell of McGonagall's offer.

"Wow," Ron said, his eyebrows climbing into his hair. "She really wants you to teach? And later to run the school?"

Rose nodded.

"Are you going to do it?" Neville asked.

She shrugged.

"Gee, don't get too excited or anything," Ginny chided before half standing and shouting across the room, "Oi, Seamus! Another round!"

"Sorry," Rose finally said. "It's just... Hogwarts is a difficult subject for me. There are a lot of good memories there, but a lot of bad ones, too."

"That's not the only reason, though, is it?" Ron asked. "I mean, you may not have come back to Hogwarts since you left, but you've barely visited Britain at all since the end of sixth year."

"It's not like I felt especially welcome that year," Rose shot back. "None of us did."

"No, you didn't," Neville agreed, "but things have gotten better."

"Would we actually be accepted if we moved here?" Diana asked.

"Would they accept Rose as Headmistress?" Hermione added.

"Some won't," Ginny admitted, "but after the war and everything you did, there's far more acceptance than you probably realize, especially among younger witches and wizards."

"The professors in Hogwarts have made a point of teaching about things you did," Dean said. "Some students complained at first, but Headmistress McGonagall tore strips off of anyone who even suggested that there was anything inferior or immoral about you. I don't think that many who've passed through Hogwarts since that year would have much to say against you, and they're the one's who will soon be sending their own kids there."

Neville nodded. "Even people in our year and a bit before have been coming around, despite how they treated you back then."

"Huh," Rose allowed, impressed despite herself.

"Of course, you'd probably know all this if you came and visited more often," Ginny said before helping relieve Seamus of the drinks he'd brought over. Included among them was a fifth serving of rum-infused cherries which Ginny dutifully placed in front of a glassy-eyed phoenix.

The four women had already resigned themselves to taking the floo back to Grimmauld Place when the night was over. No sane person caught a ride with a drunken phoenix.

"What's this I hear about you taking over as Headmistress?" Seamus asked.

Rose goggled at him. "Already? I only just told that story!"

Seamus grinned. "Gossip travels fast. I'll give you two-to-one odds that they're already talking about it in the Leaky Cauldron."

"Ugh!" Rose banged her head against the table.

"You're not helping. Scat!" Ginny said, making shooing motions with her hands as Seamus laughed and walked away.

"But seriously," Neville said. "Hannah and I will be sending our daughter there in a few years. I can't think of a better, more positive role model than you." He paused with his mug halfway to his mouth as he looked at the four women. "Than all of you, actually."

"You were already a good teacher and leader back in fifth year," Ron pointed out.

"She's gotten even better since then," Hermione added.

Rose sighed deeply as she looked around at her friends. She noticed then that the bar had fallen silent and that everyone seemed to be looking at her. _Well, this is familiar,_ she thought sourly, averting her gaze. _Do I want to subject myself to all of this again?_ Yet as the silence dragged on, she chanced a closer look at the faces in the crowd and found to her surprise that there was no desperation there, no expectation, no sense that she should just get on with her job already. They were simply... curious. Hopeful, even.

 _Maybe things have changed after all._

"This is... huge," Rose finally said. "I'm not even thirty! Am I ready for something like this?"

"Maybe you don't feel like it yet," Diana assured her, "but you will. You've accomplished a lot in the past nine years, after all, and Minerva will make sure you learn what you need to know."

Rose tipped her head, conceding the point. She looked at the others. "What do you all think?"

"Uh-uh," Hermione said firmly. "This is more about you than us. You should only accept because _you_ want to do it, no matter what we think."

"Or what _anyone_ else thinks," Ginny put in. "Merlin knows, you don't owe Wizarding Britain anything."

Rose turned to Diana, who took her hand. "I'll stand with you no matter what you choose — you know that."

Staring into Diana's bright blue eyes, Rose couldn't help but be reminded of the first time she'd looked into them. That had been at a bar, too. At the time, she'd been depressed and looking for... something. She hadn't known what, and when Diana had invited her to go somewhere new, she'd taken a gamble and agreed.

It had turned out to be the best decision of her life.

Rose took a deep breath and grabbed hold of her mug. Lifting it up, she said, "Alright, I'm in."


End file.
